Arson
by rogueptoridactyl
Summary: Izuku Midoriya grew up with two major voids in his life: his lack of a quirk and his lack of a father. When both of those voids are finally filled, how will Deku react when his father wanders back into his life? Even worse, how will he react when he learns his father is the infamous villain named Arson?
1. Arson

Chapter One: Arson

"I have you now!" the American hero yelled. Clapping his hands together, the ground underneath Arson turned into thick, cement-like mud, and the humidity increased by at least ten percent.

Arson had to fight to keep a smile off his face. A swamp quirk wasn't something he'd ever encountered before. In theory this hero, Mississippi Mud, should pose a threat to Arson, but the opposite was true as well. Arson's flame, carefully controlled by his telekinesis was also a swamp quirk's weakness. It would all come down to cunning and sheer power.

The hero was young and fueled by righteous fury. Mississippi Mud hadn't been on Arson's list, but his mentor had been. The seasoned hero had put up an admirable fight, but he fell just as the others had.

That had been just over a week ago, and in that time Mississippi Mud had hunted Arson ruthlessly. Finally the young hero had found him, determined to avenge his mentor. The fact that the boy had been able to find Arson spoke volumes of his skill.

Arson adjusted the mask that covered everything but his mouth. As he did so, he felt his lower calfs sink into the young hero's mud.

"The path of a hero is rarely happy, child," Arson warned. "If you swear it off now I'll let you walk away."

"Why?" Mud asked, the humidity increasing even more. Arson found it a little harder to breathe, but he was fairly sure that he could still breathe fire. "You've never let a hero walk away after an encounter with you."

"I was told to kill them. But you kid, you haven't pissed anyone off badly enough that they want you dead," Arson said easily. "Just walk away and figure out another job."

Mississippi Mud stared me down. "We both know that's not going to happen."

"I tried," Arson said, making a show of sighing. In actuality, he was observing the young hero. As the mud beneath them got deeper and the air more humid, the kid's lower extremities got more blurred, merging seamlessly with the mud.

 _So the kid's physiology is made of mud,_ Arson thought. _It really is a matter of cunning and power._

"You'll be happy to know your mentor put up a decent fight," Arson said, flames dancing from his mouth with each word. The kid lurched backwards, his eyes fixated on the flame.

The flames began circling Arson like a cat twining around his legs. As they did so, the ground encasing him dried, flaking away easily so he could move again.

"I gave you a chance, kid," Arson said, shaking his head. "You could have made a life for yourself, but you've chosen to join your mentor. Better luck in your next life."

Opening his mouth wide and raising his hands to control it, a barrage of flames encircled the hero known as Mississippi Mud. The kid tried to save himself by throwing himself to the semi-moist ground to survive the flames, but the heat was too much. The kid's body began drying out, and then flaking away.

Barely able to move even his mouth, Mississippi Mud said, "You'll pay."

Arson stared down at him, much the way one looks at a cockroach. "That's going to take someone a lot stronger than you."

Completely devoid of emotion, Arson planted a single foot on the hero's chest. As he pressed down with his full weight, Mud's chest cracked. Arson kept pressing down, until all that was left of Mississippi Mud was a pile of dust.

Brushing off his clothes, Arson shook his head. He was too young. _I had hoped for a better fight._

When a quick glance confirmed that Arson was truly alone, he pulled off the mask, revealing an average-looking Japanese man, a man who looked more at home at a desk job than on any kind of battlefield. Patting his head, he internally lamented about mask hair. In actuality, his hair looked exactly the same as it had before he put the mask on, as he wore it in a buzz cut. In his younger days his hair had always been a mess of curls.

He found his way back to his apartment complex, still disappointed in how quickly the fight had ended. Upon entering the apartment complex, he was almost immediately cornered by his neighbor.

"Hisashi, you lived in the same city as that really famous hero school, right?" Antony asked excitedly.

Hisashi suppressed a sigh. "Yes, we lived fairly close to U.A."

"Did you ever see the U.A. Sports Festival in person?" Antony pressed. "Those kids are insane! This year the first-years took the spotlight. No one else did, but I personally rooted for the kid who tried not to use his quirk. He actually got surprisingly far without it, which made sense because he totally trashed his body with his quirk."

"Oh?" Hisashi asked blandly, internally calculating. Had All-for-One gotten to a kid who then sneaked into U.A.'s hero class?

"Hisashi?" Antony asked.

"What do you want?"

"I have the English version of the Sports Festival recorded, but I also have the version with the original Japanese commentary. I love Present Mic, and I remembered, I have a wonderful neighbor who literally translates Japanese for a living," Antony said hopefully.

Hisashi heaved a sigh. "Fine, I'll translate it for you."

Antony cheered as Hisashi followed him into his apartment. Sitting on Antony's couch, strange emotions burned through Hisashi. Whenever Inko managed to get ahold of Hisashi, she told him how badly Izuku wanted to be a hero and how it broke her heart that he could never become one. This always pricked at what little conscience Hisashi had left, and because of this he rarely called Inko, and almost never answered the phone.

"I can't stay long," Hisashi warned. "I have important things to take care of."

"Of course you do, you always do," Antony whined. "In that case, we'll skip the first event. It was impressive, but I care about the others more."

Hisashi eased into Antony's couch glaring at the TV with an unblinking gaze. As Antony fiddled with the remote, he cursed. "The kids must have deleted the second event. Oh well, the last event was the best anyway. I'm glad you finally have a free moment in your schedule. I've been trying to pin you down since the Sports Festival actually happened, and that was months ago."

He nodded in agreement with Antony, but in reality, Hisashi was already regretting this. He had no desire to watch fledgeling heroes waste public attention and resources. Naturally Hisashi had heard about this year's Sports Festival. You would have to live under a mound of rocks not to. He had also heard of All Might's shocking defeat. Hisashi couldn't deny the small bit of smug satisfaction he found at the news.

Since then Hisashi hadn't heard anything from All For One or the League of Villains, and he assumed that meant he was now a free agent. He had taken care of the last person on the list-and a few others- which meant he could go anywhere he liked. He just had to decide where his skills would be most marketable.

Antony interrupted his train of thought. "It's an unpopular opinion, but the plain-looking kid in this first round is my favorite. He uses his mind more than his quirk, but wowza, his quirk is a little scary. I think they called him Izuku? No offense, but Japanese names are a mouthful."

Hisashi jolted a bit at hearing his son's name, but he quickly calmed himself. It wasn't an uncommon name, after all, and Izuku didn't have a quirk. Hisashi had seen to that.

Antony had finally stopped jabbering and began the recording. The camera panned out to show a stadium full of spectators watching eagerly as Midnight explained the rules. Who let that woman anywhere near a high school, and as an instructor no less?

Hisashi translated everything flatly, hoping Antony would relieve him of his duty if he did a bad enough job. Sadly it was to no avail, because either way Antony was utterly enraptured.

Finally they announced the first match, and Hisashi was on autopilot, translating without thought. However, Hisashi faltered upon hearing the second contestant's name.

"-and Izuku Midoriya," Hisashi croaked, his eyes glued to the screen. Surely enough, a smaller teenager walked out. He still held traces of the child Hisashi had known. He had Inko's coloring, but the same unruly hair Hisashi had when he let it grow out. A tide of emotions was threatening to drown Hisashi.

How was his son that old already? He could have sworn that Izuku was only twelve, maybe thirteen. More importantly, how had he gotten into U.A.? Even if he had a quirk, Hisashi wouldn't be able to stomach his own son attending any hero school.

"Hisashi? What's Present Mic saying?" Antony asked, once again breaking Hisashi from his ruminations.

He translated quickly, but luckily Present Mic and the other commentator -Eraserhead?- were fairly silent for the first battle, so he could focus on Izuku. Hisashi wanted to scream in frustration as he watched his son almost immediately begin walking to the edge of the ring. Whatever quirk the other kid had, Hisashi was ready to strangle him. Then, mere moments before Izuku disqualified himself, a loud crash sounded and dust filled the air, obscuring what had happened.

Hisashi growled in frustration, and he spat out a translation of Present Mic's confusion. When the dust cleared, Izuku stood barely behind the boundary. Despite the heroic setting, Hisashi found himself cheering for his son.

Izuku had always seemed small to Hisashi, but Hisashi hadn't seen him in person for… seven years? Ten? Every time Hisashi blinked, it seemed like Inko was calling him about forgetting to send the kid a gift.

The kid wasn't hopeless. He'd always seemed like a limp noodle of a boy, but now Izuku had clearly bulked up pretty significantly. When Izuku judo-flipped his opponent out of the ring, Hisashi found a smile on his face.

Maybe his son didn't have a quirk. Maybe he had trained until he could stand on equal ground with the kids who had a quirk. If that were true, then Izuku would be a valuable asset to the League of Villains. He may be in hero school now, but every child imitated their parents. Izuku would doubtlessly join the League of Villains if for nothing more than to be near Hisashi.

The other children's fights were impressive, especially considering they were all the same age as Izuku, whatever that age may be. Hisashi simply didn't care. They were merely heroes to be cut down one day.

In the second round of matches, Hisashi began to feel nervous. Izuku was pitted against Endeavor's brat, a boy with an ice-quirk powerful enough that Hisashi couldn't see a way for Izuku to fight back. As soon as the Endeavor Spawn sent a barrage of ice towards Izuku, Hisashi knew it was all over.

But it wasn't. Clenching his fist, Izuku yelled, "SMASH!" Bringing his fist forward, a deadly power obliterated the recently formed ice.

Hisashi stared blankly at the TV as the fight unfolded. It was a game of cat and mouse, and with each punch, Izuku seemed more and more injured. But Hisashi didn't really absorb what was going on in the fight, even as Endeavor's son displayed a fire quirk as well. Instead, Hisashi stared at his son, who had a quirk.

His son, who _couldn't_ have a quirk.

Thinking on this, as soon as the event was over, Hisashi clapped a hand on Antony's shoulder. "It was nice knowing you, but it's time for me to move on."

Antony genuinely looked sad. "Well, where are you going this time?"

The barest smile brushed Hisashi's lips. "Japan, actually. It's time for me to go home."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello all! This is my first BNHA fanfic, and only my third fanfic ever. To those of you that may be coming from Shattered, I swear I'm not abandoning it. I just needed to write something that I felt a little more inspired about, but I swear I will get another chapter of that out soon, depending on what school and work permits.**

 **To any new readers, I write fanfiction as an avenue to improve my writing, so please leave reviews letting me know what you think! I appreciate any criticism and take it into serious consideration when I write. This is going to be a longer fanfic, I'm not sure of how many chapters yet, but I'm really excited about this one. I don't make strict updating schedules, but I honestly do get inspired by reviews and follows, it assures me that people are still reading. So please, let me know what you're thinking about this.**

 **Also, just FYI this takes place after the hero lisence arc, towards the end of fall, at least for now.**


	2. Deku

Chapter Two: Deku

Izuku Midoriya, fondly known as "Deku," was thinking. This meant he was muttering.

"And then Mississippi Mud was murdered as well. They were probably linked- they had to be, but is there a-"

"Deku, you're doing it again," Uraraka said, concentrating intensely before precisely moving a chess piece.

"Wrong move," Bakugo gloated, taking the piece out of commission.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Deku said, a little embarrassed.

"It's fine. Take that, Bakugo!" Uraraka crowed.

"Checkmate."

"WHAT?!"

Deky milled over to the portion of the common area where Jirou held a jam session for anyone with even the smallest musical ability. Deku observed the way everyone worked together to make some awesome music, despite the clash of instruments. He'd never seen a harp being played alongside an electric guitar, but Yaoyorozu and Jirou made it work.

He was getting lost in the music when his phone buzzed. Deku couldn't help the surge of excitement he felt when he saw the text from All Might: _Meet me outside._

Deku did his best to look discrete about leaving the building, but his smile was blinding. It intensified when he saw All Might, his thin frame leaning against the building.

"All Might!" Deku exclaimed. After all this time he felt the same excitement to be near his hero as the first time. But other emotions joined in now, like worry for his hero. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Midoriya my boy. Things have just been so chaotic lately that time got away from me. If you feel up to it, I'd like to have lunch with you to celebrate getting your provisional hero license," All Might said.

Deku's eyes widened. "You don't have to, All Might! It's just a-"

"It's not just anything, young Midoriya. You accomplished something monumental, and as your mentor I want to celebrate," All Might said, smiling.

"Well, then yes, I would really like that!" Deku said brightly. "As long as you're sure it's okay."

"I think you've forgotten just how far you've come, young man. A hero works to serve the people, but he's allowed to take pride in all that he's done. Now- Midoriya my boy, you can't cry every time someone congratulates you," All Might said, a bit exasperated.

Deku hurriedly wiped his tears away. "Thank you, All Might."

All Might merely smiled. Some days he couldn't believe that he'd found such an earnest successor. Young Midoriya would do great things, All Might could feel it in his bones.

Inside the dorms, Deku's departure went largely unnoticed. However, a single pair of eyes followed the student and teacher, eyes that belonged to Katsuki Bakugo. However, Bakugo no longer internally cursed at Deku as he once would have. Instead, Bakugo turned to challenge Iida, his next chess opponent.

It was the perfect Saturday in Deku's opinion. All of his homework was already finished, and he even felt like he'd understood Present Mic's English lesson. That was usually a sign that he was doing something terribly wrong, but Deku would worry about that on Monday. The end of fall was quickly approaching, and Deku appreciated the brisk fall air.

"How are your classes going outside of hero work?" All Might asked, casually strolling down the street.

Deku thought for a moment. "Everything is going really well, aside from English. Sometimes I wonder if Present Mic actually knows English himself."

"English is something you need to be immersed in to truly learn. I offered to teach it, but Mic made it clear that I would have to pry the subject out of his cold, dead hands."

"That's right, you studied abroad in America, so you would know English!" Izuku said brightly.

"If you ever need help, all you have to do is ask," All Might said, still casually strolling down the street.

"You mean it? Thanks, All Might!" Deku said, throwing his arms around the skeletal man without a thought. He pulled away immediately, his face a deep red.

All Might's face also sported a bit of red, but rather than from embarrassment, both men were merely unused to the simple physical affection.

Clearing his throat, All Might began to speak when a scream sounded in the distance.

"Let's see how you put that provisional license to work," All Might said, urging Deku on with a smile.

Smiling widely himself, Deku activated One For All and bounded forward, leaving Toshinori stunned by the child's speed. Again and again his successor surprised him, and young Midoriya had so much left to give the world. Toshinori could feel it in his bones.

Deku propelled himself forward, expertly navigating through the street. While he was soaring through the air form a particularly strong jump, he could see a man shouting at a crowd of civilians, pointing a gun at a child, a girl who looked about ten years old.

"It doesn't matter that I don't have a quirk _now,_ does it?" The man demanded, grasping the back of the girl's shirt and reeling her in closer. "I matter now, don't I?"

The crowd murmured about pro heroes and such, but everyone was too scared to make a move, lest the villain turn the gun on them.

"Mommy," the girl sobbed, her eyes fixed on a particular woman in the crowd. The woman sobbed, but several people held her back.

Deku's mind was working in overdrive, immediately running through what little martial arts Uraraka had shown him. He would have to be precise because he had exactly one shot at this. Although he hadn't tested this yet, something told Deku that with eight percent of One For All accessible to him, a bullet could be avoided.

No one had noticed him in the air yet. That meant he had a shot. As the villain cocked the gun, Deku stretched out a hand, pulling the child to his chest mere milliseconds before the gun sounded, a bullet lodging into the cement where she had been standing.

Deku deposited the child next to her mother, who sobbed and clutched at the child while the crowd murmured around him.

"Is that a kid?"

"He's going to be in so much trouble from the police."

"Don't you recognize him? He's the one from the Sports Festival…"

The gunman turned to Deku, enraged. "Oh, so you think you're some kind of hero, kid? Your quirk won't stop you from dying!"

He moved to fire the gun, but he fumbled, giving Deku plenty of time to rush forward using One For All, and using one of the Gunhead Martial Arts moves to wrestle the gun out of the man's hands.

It was incredibly anticlimactic, to be totally honest, but for once Deku had managed to complete hero work without a single injury. Once the gun was out of the man's hands, multiple spectators had called in the police, and Deku could already hear the sirens in the distance.

Glancing around, Deku couldn't find anything to restrain the man with until one of the spectators offered his tie. Nodding, he firmly knotted the tie around the villain's wrists.

"Run, kid!" Someone yelled. "You'll get in trouble with the police for using your quirk!"

Soon enough the entire crowd was trying to get Deku to run away in self preservation. They were so adamant, in fact, that he couldn't explain that he had a provisional licence.

"Izuku Midoriya," called the first police officer on the scene, a cat-headed police officer that Deku had met before but had yet to learn the name of. "I can see you're putting that provisional hero's license to good work."

Deku immediately threw his arm into a salute. "Yes!"

"He's already licensed?" Someone in the crowd murmured.

"What was his hero name again?"

"Deku, I think."

Before he could grasp what was going on, the crowd was cheering for him. Deku was merely relieved to hand the gun over to the police officer, as well as the gunman. He fumbled to show his license before giving his contact information, then he was free to go.

Deku started weaving through the crowd to where he saw All Might waiting for him when he heard someone call, "Wait, Mr. Hero!"

A little stunned, Deku turned around to the child he had just saved. Warm brown eyes met his until she threw her arms around his torso.

"Thank you for saving me!" the girl said, tears still falling down her cheeks. "You're my new favorite hero!"

Despite his resolve, Deku found himself tearing up as well. However, he remembered being told over and over again that victims would react to his reactions. Somehow Deku fought back the tears and with a smile brighter than the sun itself said, "You're safe now."

A police officer intervened and pulled the child away to ask her questions, and Deku was free to go. The crowd of onlookers congratulated him as he passed, but Deku couldn't help but analyze every way that the fight had gone wrong, or could have gone wrong. He was muttering by the time he got to All Might, enough so that people were starting to give Midoriya a wide berth.

Shaking his head, All Might clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder, snapping him out of his mumble-induced haze.

Instantly wilting, Deku began profusely apologizing for some reason, and ending with, "I really messed that up. I'm sorry, All Might."

All Might stared at his successor for a moment. "Young Midoriya, this complex of yours is a problem. I know you've been lectured many times for your methods of saving people, but no one got hurt in this encounter. I can't even fault your for your execution. I would have done it differently, but that doesn't make your way wrong. In fact, it was much smoother than I would have done when I was at your level."

Unexpectedly, Deku found his eyes watering once more. "Thanks, All Might."

"It's what I'm here for, kid. Now let's go get lunch before you become a public fountain," the hero said, clapping Midoriya on the back.

They ended up going to a new ramen place. Izuku tried to argue when Toshinori paid, but in the end there was no stopping him. Enjoying their leisurely lunch, Toshinori began suggesting alternate ways to handle situations like what he'd dealt with that day, which led to Izuku coming up with a whole slew of alternate methods. It left Toshinori once again amazed by the way his successor was able to think through problems so thoroughly.

Toshinori was also continuously amazed at how easy it was to talk to young Midoriya. As the Number One Hero, All Might had learned to talk to just about anyone, but when Midoriya could overlook his admiration of heroes, he was incredibly observant about herowork as a whole. But Toshinori found he could listen to his successor chatter about even the most mundane things. Every little thing that Young Midoriya chose to share with Toshinori made him feel privileged. Toshinori suspected that fatherhood felt something like his affection for Izuku, as well as his other students.

Lunch ended all too soon for Izuku and All Might, but both had things to get done back at U.A.

Reluctantly, the two began walking back, discussing nothing but everything at the same time. Izuku was reluctant to leave his mentor, but he knew All Might had lesson plans to make, just as Izuku had laundry to do. With that in mind, Izuku cheerily waved goodbye to All Might once they got to the dorms.

In the dorms, Izuku set about washing his laundry, which had been piling up for too long. The first load was already done when someone came into the laundry room and cleared their throat.

Izuku turned around. "All Might? Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine, Midoriya," All Might said. "I was just asked to tell you that you have a visitor."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know how the action scene worked for you guys. I find writing action scenes really difficult, and it's one of the things that I need to get better at. But things are moving forward, and I'm really excited about this story. As always, follows and reviews are incredibly helpful and inspire me to keep writing. I have no idea when I'll update next because I just got a second job because apparently I'm not busy enough.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, and remember to go beyond, Plus Ultra!**


	3. Hisashi

Chapter 3: Hisashi

The journey back to Japan was long and exhausting. On the plane Hisashi sat behind a screaming child that instantly enraged him. In the days when Izuku was a baby, on the rare occasion he cried, Hisashi simply left until he felt Inko had things calmed down.

The parents of the child hadn't even apologized to the surrounding people, they merely fussed over the squalling infant. By the time he got off the plane, Hisashi was itching to set something on fire and watch it burn. Hisashi seriously considered it for a moment, but decided it would take too long to reign himself in. Once he started to burn things for fun rather than a purpose, it was hard to stave off the insanity.

So Hisashi worked his way through Musatufu, back to the house he had bought so long ago. He wasn't sure what he would say to Izuku to convince him of the folly of heroes, but Izuku got that quirk from somewhere. Hisashi supposed that his son wasn't as innocent and blinded by "goodness" as he appeared.

On the way, Hisashi checked a newspaper. It was Saturday, meaning Izuku would be at home most likely. He vaguely remembered Inko crying to him about their son not having friends, and Hisashi assumed that wouldn't have changed, quirk or not. He himself could barely tolerate the boy, as all he ever did was cry. Hopefully that, at least, had changed.

His emotions were curiously absent when Hisashi knocked on the front door. He heard the scurry of feet followed by a quiet gasp before the door swung open to reveal his wife.

Hisashi blinked. Inko had really let herself go. She'd sent pictures of herself and Izuku occasionally, so he'd known she wasn't as… youthful as the woman he'd married. He simply hadn't known how bad it was.

Inko stared with wide eyes. "Hi-Hisashi?"

He attempted a smile, but it felt flat, misleading. "I'm home."

His wife was speechless as she opened the door for him. Once inside, Hisashi surveyed the living room. The decorations were simple, mainly consisting of pictures of Izuku, with the rare picture including Inko as well. Hisashi frowned, realizing that the only indication of his existence was a faded wedding photo tucked away in the corner where it was barely noticeable.

"Wh-what are you doing in Japan?" Inko asked, breaking Hisashi out of his thoughts. Maybe he should have found something to burn after all.

"I got a promotion at work," Hisashi said after a beat. "They stationed me back here at Musutafu."

After a moment Inko nodded, her eyes leaving Hisashi unsettled. Even now she was able to read him too well, to a degree that was unsettling.

Her back was rigid, belying an anger he hadn't expected. "You saw the sports festival, didn't you?" she asked, no longer stumbling over her words. Usually a timid person, whenever Inko thought something might harm her son she became a force of nature.

And now Inko thought Hisashi posed a threat to his own son. The way her eyes blazed bore witness of that.

"He's not here," she said abruptly. "But I won't stop you from seeing Izuku, but only if Izuku wants to see you. I loved you once, Hisashi, and I like to believe you loved me as well, but I won't let you hurt my son."

Hisashi pasted a smile to his face, attempting to close in on the space between them, but Inko only stepped further back into the room. Clearing his throat to hide his irritation, Hisashi said, "I jumped at the chance to be back, Inko. I wanted a chance to get to know my son."

She clearly didn't believe him, and it enraged Hisashi. His eye was twitching, and Hisashi could feel flames begin to build in his chest. He managed to quell the flames before smoke began pouring from his nose, and he managed to fight off the insanity. That was why his master had recruited him to go abroad, after all.

"Like I said, how much or how little you're in his life depends on what Izuku wants," Inko said flatly, her arms harshly crossed over her chest. "You can stay in the spare bedroom until you find an apartment for yourself."

Hisashi almost staggered backwards. Had Inko just kicked him out of his own house? Then his mind registered what she said. "Spare bedroom? There are only two bedrooms, unless you mean the office…"

"I told you, Izuku isn't here. U.A. has dorms for their students. You can sleep in Izuku's room for a few days," Inko said coldly.

"Inko, let's talk. I feel like there's some strain on the marriage from me being abroad for so long," Hisashi said, attempting to sound genuine.

She merely shook her head. "I would have worked with you if you had visited or even called once in the past fourteen years, Hisashi. Actions tell you what a person truly thinks, and you've shown that Izuku is your son in name only, just as I'm your wife in name only. I don't know what happened, but I've made my peace with it. If you develop a relationship with Izuku that's great, but he won't forget every birthday and Christmas he spent asking where his father was."

Hisashi was internally fuming. He hadn't expected Inko to be so… adamant, or resistant. In truth, Hisashi had always seen Inko as a rather spineless woman, but she was also at least a marginally intuitive woman. But no matter. Maybe it was for the better that Izuku was removed from Inko so it would be easier for Hisashi to get his son to see his perspective.

Even if it meant going to _that school._

Hisashi contemplated this as he bid farewell to his wife, beginning to walk in the direction of U.A. As a villain, Hisashi had a code of ethics. He only killed heroes, he refused to kill anyone else, even another villain. Seriously maiming wasn't out of the question, but any non-heroes were still breathing when Hisashi left. Additionally, any younger heroes were given the chance to change career paths, but as with Mississippi Mud, they almost never did.

However, there were always exceptions to the ruled, and the exception to Hisashi's second rule were U.A. students. He'd heard just how competitive entrance to the school was, and Hisashi found that even a first-year. U.A. student in the heroics department held a conviction that rivalled even some seasoned pro-heroes. When a hero trained at U.A. came across Arson, he found he was incapable of letting the hero live.

After all, Arson's code of ethics was his way of keeping some semblance of control over the insanity, but in some things the insanity couldn't be suppressed.

Hisashi hoped that Izuku would be the exception to the exception, but if he accidentally killed Izuku at least there was one less hero to plague the world.

Odd looks from passersby told Hisashi he had been muttering again. He wished he could blame that on the insanity, but Hisashi had muttered when thinking deeply for all of his life.

Straightening up, Hisashi began striding forward with new purpose. He even wore a small grin when he realized that even if Izuku refused to speak to him, Hisashi could gather information about U.A. if he ever felt like burning it to the ground.

And there the school stood before him, almost shining in the autumn sunlight. The very sight of it made Hisashi disgusted. However, he began striding forward with a smile pasted on his face. Standing directly before the front gates, he moved to enter them when an intercom sounded.

"State your name and purpose," a flat voice demanded.

Pushing a button, he clearly stated, "My name is Midoriya Hisashi, father of Midoriya Izuku. I'm here to visit him."

There was a slight pause before the voice grated," Have identification ready to show. Don't move, I'll meet you out there."

So Hisashi waited, and before too long a man wearing all black and an absurdly long scarf appeared.

Without a word he took Hisashi's identification, studying it intently despite his aura of exhaustion. Black eyes then drilled into Hisashi, leaving Hisashi strangely unsettled for the second time that day.

"You're Midoriya's father?" the man asked.

"I am," Hisashi said, keeping his smile in place.

"Your name isn't anywhere on his paperwork. That means we need parental consent for you to see Izuku," the man said.

If he wasn't careful, smoke would start pouring out of Hisashi's mouth and nose. U.A. was obviously putting him on edge, but this guy was pushing Hisashi's buttons like few people could. With a forced brightness, Hisashi said, "I could call Inko if you want me to."

"That won't be necessary, I will speak to her myself," the man said flatly.

Hisashi noted with irritation that the walking corpse had Inko's contact information on his phone. Stepping away from the front gates, within seconds he was murmuring to Inko in hushed tones.

Hisashi felt his eye begin to twitch, and the warmth in his throat grew more pressing. The tiniest curls of smoke began escaping his nostrils.

The man in black hung up the phone after a short conversation, but he had somehow known exactly how far away to stand so that the conversation had been inaudible to Hisashi.

The man procured an access card and waved it at a panel before gesturing for Hisashi to come in. "Your story checks out. If you'll follow me, there's paperwork to be done, then we'll go get Izuku to see you."

Hisashi felt his eye begin to twitch again, but he had gotten his flames under control so only a faint smell of smoke lingered in the air. Hisashi had to keep himself in check, after all, because now was his opportunity to gather information on U.A. He also supposed it would be important to make a good impression on the kid.

Following the scarfed man, Hisashi looked at everything intently, as if it held the secrets to the universe. All it revealed, however, was that it was a rich school. The security measures in place weren't obvious to Hisashi's eyes-he had always dealt with his victims in a secluded location, far from their homes.

Inside the school yielded even fewer results, as the scarfed man led Hisashi into the first room on the right, keeping him from seeing almost any of the school.

Hiding his frustration with a smooth smile, Hisashi said, "I don't think I got your name."

"Aizawa Shouta, I'm your son's homeroom teacher," the man said flatly.

He was a teacher? Hisashi had heard that U.A. hired pro heroes to be teachers, but this man was too… tired to be a pro. He didn't look like much.

"I will warn you, if you don't keep your quirk in check, you will be escorted off campus without seeing your son. You are not authorized to use your quirk here," the man said in the same flat voice.

Hisashi nodded, his mind working furiously. "So, uh, does Izuku do well in his studies?" Hisashi asked as Aizawa milled about getting the paperwork gathered.

"You can ask him yourself once you finish this," Aizawa said, slamming a veritable mountain of papers onto the table. "I need to speak briefly with a colleague."

Hisashi's eye began to twitch in earnest. Part of him itched to burn the papers, then the school, then take his son.

The paperwork was literally twenty pages long, and aside from his contact information, it was an incredibly detailed and personal questionnaire. Not even customs had been so awful in any of the countries Hisashi had entered. It had extensive questions about his employment history, criminal history or lack thereof, and his quirk.

Hisashi wasn't even a fourth of the way through the paperwork when Aizawa walked in, saying, "One of the other teachers is getting Izuku. You can speak to him as soon as you finish the paperwork."

It too everything in Hisashi to suppress the insanity and not hurt this man in some way. More and more Hisashi found himself hating the man for reasons beyond being employed by U.A.

The man was silent as he watched Hisashi fill out the paperwork. Did he ever blink? Aizawa rubbed Hisashi in all the wrong ways, but Hisashi had to pretend to be the man who would marry Inko and have something to do with his child. He had to pretend to be someone who hadn't existed for fourteen years.

Hisashi caught a glimpse of himself in the decorative mirror hanging on the wall. That was no good, Hisashi's smile held more malice than blandness, more insanity than stability. He quickly trained his smile into a Hisashi smile rather than an Arson smile.

After scribbling down the last of his medical history, Hisashi set down the pen. Aizawa scanned the pages with bloodshot eyes before looking directly at Hisashi. When their eyes met, Aizawa looked less dead inside and more like a… like a threat. Those eyes unsettled Hisashi more than he was willing to admit.

"Izuku will be here soon. I'll remind you, if you start to use your quirk like you did at the gates, we will call the police. At U.A. we take the safety of our students seriously. If Izuku wants you to leave, _you will leave_."

Hisashi coughed, the slightest scent of smoke dusting the air. Smiling, he said, "I'm glad my son is in good hands.

Aizawa merely stared Hisashi down until the door cracked open to reveal a skeletal blond man that towered over a kid with wide green eyes.

Inko's eyes.

The silence was heavy as father and son stared at one another. Every second of silence weighed more and orme on the pair until Aizawa cleared his throat.

"Let us know if you need us, Midoriya," Aizawa said.

The boy nodded, but was pale and withdrawn. It could've been normal for the kid, but Hisashi doubted it. Any son of Inko's was bound to smile too much and cry even more.

However, before they stepped out, the walking skeleton placed a hand on the kid's head, which set Hisashi on edge. With a revolting smile, the man murmured, "Remember what I told you, Midoriya my boy."

Unbidden, flames began building in Hisashi's chest, quelling only when he remembered Aizawa's threat. Instead of flames, rage burned through Hisashi's entire body. His fists unconsciously clenched, and he clenched his jaw as well so he didn't begin muttering.

What had the skeleton told his son? Who was that man to call Izuku "Midoriya my boy"? Why did Izuku look so comforted by the man?

To make Hisashi even more enraged, Izuku turned to the man and smiled with a blinking brightness before thanking both teachers.

"As soon as you're done we'll be here to escort out," Aizawa said flatly, the skeletal man nodding in agreement.

Hisashi couldn't help but notice the looks that Izuku and the blond man shot each other before the door shut behind the two teachers. It infuriated him, the way the blond man kept glancing at Izuku with worry and compassion, like _he_ was Izuku's father.

Izuku looked at the door for a beat before turning back to Hisashi, obviously wary. Slowly, he said, "I'm Izuku, but I guess you knew that already."

Hisashi grinned in the best imitation of fatherhood he could muster. "It's been a while, kid. I haven't seen you since you were this big," he said, vaguely gesturing with his hands.

His son sat down at the other side of the table, his back ramrod straight. But the boy said nothing, merely observing Hisashi.

Keeping the grin in place, Hisashi continued, "I was so happy when I got transferred to Japan so I could be near you and your mother again. Let me tell you kid, when I heard you made it into the heroics course at U.A., I was amazed. Sometime I'm going to have to see that quirk of yours in action."

"Oh, you saw the Sports Festival," Izuku said faintly. Staring directly at Hisashi, his green eyes were cutting. "You came back to Japan because I have a quirk now, didn't you?"

* * *

 **A/N: The entire time I wrote from Hisashi's perspective, I was totally disgusted, especially with the way he treated Inko. This was also a pretty intense chapter to write, which took me a little longer to write than normal. I also had a HUUUUGE research paper to write, so that took precedence. But I'm back! I hope you enjoy this story. As always let me know what you think in the comments, your comments are always an inspiration for me to keep writing. Any constructive criticism is doubly helpful, I post these so I can learn how to improve my writing.**

 **I didn't respond to comments last time, so here it is!**

 **fencer29: Interesting prediction, and sharp eyes. We'll see if you're right. And thank you so much for your feedback on the action scene, it's incredibly helpful for me to hear. I'll definitely be thinking about your advice for the future. That was also some great insight about the provisional licenses, I'll have to do some more research on the logistics of those.**

 **s082829: I'm going to put in as much Dad Might as I can think of. Any ideas are totally welcome, I would love to include things that the readers want to see. That invitation is extended to everyone.**

 **bajy: I get the chapters out as quickly as I can. I hope you keep reading!**

 **DARCRY: I'm glad my story has intrigued you so much! At this point, no one knows that Hisashi is Arson except a handful of people from the League of Villains. I hadn't thought of Stain and Arson meeting and having their ideals clash. That's a really intriguing thought and I already have some ideas for that. Thanks for the request!**

 **I hope everything is going well for each of you, and I'll see you whenever the next chapter rolls around!**


	4. I Z U K U

**Trigger Warning: This chapter depicts a panic attack in detail.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Izuku

Izuku stared down his father, his eyes free of tears for once. Part of him winced at how rude he was being, but it was largely drowned out by the child who had been abandoned fourteen years ago for no reason.

His question had exploded out of him before he had even realized he was thinking of it. But it was the most logical explanation.

Hisashi wasn't prepared for it at all. "Why would you say such a thing? I came back to Japan to see you, and because of my promotion. I just-uh-I just missed you so much. And your mother, of course."

"How could you miss me if you don't know me?" Izuku asked before he could stop himself.

Hisashi scoffed. "You're my son, of course I missed you."

For the first time in his life, Izuku Midoriya stared intently at his father. Hisashi was a slight man, and his height was on the lower end of average. He was fairly nondescript, his black hair buzzed close to his scalp. Izuku noticed the way his mouth would momentarily twist into grimaces, but it happened so quickly that Izuku couldn't help but wonder whether or not he had actually seen anything. Hisashi's eyes also darted around, rarely resting on any one thing. There was something unsettling in the depths of those black eyes, something that Izuku couldn't begin to understand.

For all his efforts, Izuku couldn't find a single trait that convinced him that this man was his father. He believed that biologically, the man had contributed a vital piece to his creation, but "father" seemed to grand a title.

Thankfully, for once in his life Izuku was able to keep himself from muttering. Gathering his courage, Izuku said, "If you missed me so much, why didn't you ever call or write?"

It was only a moment, but Hisashi's eyes flashed in a way that instantly put Izuku on edge. It was gone immediately, but Izuku couldn't deny the insanity lurking in the depths of those eyes.

"All of that's expensive kid," Hisashi said after a beat, looking vaguely apologetic. "I sent every penny I could to you and your mother. We all had to make sacrifices."

Izuku wanted to believe him. He so desperately wanted to have a father who wanted him.

But Izuku wasn't a child anymore, and he'd made his peace with the situation.

Izuku could've called him on it. He could've reminded the man that with each "promotion" he'd sent less and less money, driving Inko to get a job.

Instead, Izuku nodded. "Thank you for your sacrifice, Mr. Midoriya."

The man across from his choked. "Mr. Midoriya?"

"It's the first time I've met you, I wouldn't want to be informal," Izuku said, totally deadpan.

The man-Izuku refused to call him father-was slowly turning red, his eye beginning to twitch. Izuku thought he could faintly smell smoke, but he could've been mistaken.

Instead, Hisashi attempted a smile that was more of a grimace. "I guess I'll just have to keep visiting so you feel like you can call me dad, huh Izuku?"

"Whatever you say, Mr. Midoriya."

Silence reigned between the two of them until Hisashi said, "So what do you do for fun, kid?"

"I analyze heroes," Izuku said. He hadn't elaborated in the hopes that Hisashi would find this habit odd and simply leave, having given up on the relationship he was currently trying to force.

However, something in Hisashi's eyes gleamed. His smile was too wide for the average person, and Izuku was slightly unsettled. "That must help you a lot in your hero coursework. You must know a lot about heroes," Hisashi said lightly. "And their weaknesses."

Hisashi's delivery itself was nothing concerning, but that same gleam in his eyes chilled Izuku to the bone, every one of his instincts screaming that he needed to run.

But Izuku merely sat up straighter. "I usually focus on their strengths."

Hisashi nodded sagely. "You would never want to underestimate an opponent. But with a quirk like yours you must be pretty much unbeatable."

Izuku felt One For All throbbing in his veins with every heartbeat. Hisashi's eyes were predatory, and they froze Izuku in place. He couldn't respond, couldn't leave, when-

"I'm afraid visiting hours are over," said All Might, stepping into the room. Despite his skeletal stature, the man was still All Might. His presence alone was a comfort to Izuku.

Hisashi glared at the man, his face contorting. "I wasn't done speaking with my son."

"Well, the rules are the rules," All Might said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I apologize, Mr. Midoriya, but you really must leave."

Izuku hesitantly glanced at his father to find the personification of rage. "I've come all this way to see my son. I will _see my son,_ " Hisashi hissed, puffs of smoke escaping his mouth with each sharp word. With widening eyes, Izuku saw Hisashi's throat was slightly glowing, doubtlessly from the building fire.

Unconsciously Izuku found himself moving to stand between Hisashi and All Might, but as soon as the fire started it was cut off, leaving Hisashi choking on smoke.

"You're leaving now," Aizawa said. "You will be escorted out by either me or the police."

Staring with red eyes and his hair doing its thing, Aizawa was a fairly intimidating figure. To Izuku's relief, Hisashi nodded, moving to leave.

Before stepping through the doorway, however, Hisashi turned to Izuku. "I'm still determined to get to know my osn. I'll be back."

Izuku clenched his fist, mostly to hide that his hand was shaking. He felt his heart pounding as Hisashi smiled, stepping towards Izuku.

"We told you visiting hours are over," Aizawa snapped.

"Can't a father give his son a hug?" Hisashi asked, languidly wrapping his arms around Izuku.

Izuku's body went rigid, every muscle tense. He kept both arms at his sides, making no move to return the embrace.

Hisashi leaned his face in close to Izuku's ear and whispered, "I can't wait to learn more about that quirk of yours, kid."

Revulsion and fear burned through Izuku, even as Hisashi sauntered out the door with Aizawa close behind. Izuku felt rooted to the spot in the silent room, barely hearing the door open and shut from Hisashi leaving.

"Do you want me to walk you back to the dorms, young Midoriya?" All Might asked, concern clear on his face.

Izuku smiled, or at least offered something close to a smile. "Thanks, but no. I'll be fine, All Might. I need to finish my laundry."

Upon saying that, Izuku almost felt like laughing. His entire world was crumbling around him, but laundry waited for no one.

He didn't laugh, though. How was he supposed to laugh when he could hardly breathe?

Quickly bidding All Might farewell, Izuku sped away to the dorms. Mind in overdrive, he barely registered that he was already at the building.

Stepping inside, Izuku was almost frozen in place, by the cacophony that greeted him, adding to the din of his inner voice. Strains of music were still audible above the voices of his classmates.

"Ha! Checkmate, Bakugou. This means you can't swear for two months."

"Listen, Round Face-"

"-feet off the table, Kaminari!"

 _Your father doesn't want you._

"Mineta, I swear-"

 _He only wants your quirk._

 _Without One For All you really are useless._

"Midoriya?" a voice interrupted, at least momentarily allowing Izuku to focus on one thing, rather than being overwhelmed by everything. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Izuku said, smiling weakly without noticing who had spoken to him. Instead the boy hurried upstairs, remembering laundry that waited for him.

Once Izuku was actually in the laundry room alone, whatever had allowed him to be a semi-functioning human snapped. He stepped into the laundry room, but quickly found himself sliding down the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. He rocked back and forth to the beat of his pounding heart. His breathing was almost as erratic as the thoughts that stampeded through his mind.

 _Why now?_ That was one of the repeated thoughts swimming through Izuku's mind, one of the only coherent thoughts among various half-formed thoughts and emotions. _Why now?_

The gleam of Hisashi's eyes haunted him, and Izuku knew Hisashi didn't see him as a son, but as an opportunity.

A wave of emotion rose in Izuku, choking his as tears freely fell down his face, ugly sobs ripping from his throat. Izuku was so caught up in the release of emotions that he didn't hear the door open.

"Midoriya? What's wrong?!" a panicked voice demanded.

Izuku launched himself to his feet, doing his best to reign in his sobs, but he only began hyperventilating. "To-todoroki," he said. "I'm f-fine."

The look on Todoroki's face was one of total fear and confusion. It was the face of someone who had never seen the reality of a panic attack before.

Izuku was aware that he was shaking, and the terribly gasping noises were coming from him. But still he saw Hisashi's eyes, following him, analyzing him-

In the background he heard Todoroki asking questions, too many questions. Finally Todoroki disappeared, and Izuku sank once again to the floor, until someone pressed a paper bag into his hands.

Izuku brought the bag up to his mouth, shakily breathing in and out until he was able to take deep, controlled breaths instead of violent gasps that tore through his entire body.

A hand gently came to rest on his shoulder, further grounding Izuku. Soon he was able to lower the bag and look up, locking eyes with Todoroki.

"Are you okay now Midoriya?" Todoroki asked gently.

Izuku nodded, because relatively speaking he was. He felt drained and numb, just like he always did after a panic attack. He also knew that when he could feel emotions again he would feel ashamed that Todoroki had seen the worst side of him.

"Can I… Can I ask what's going on?" Todoroki asked hesitantly.

Izuku swallowed, and then nodded, because if anyone would understand, it would be Todoroki. "My… My father came to visit."

Todoroki's eyes widened. "Your father? I always assumed he was dead."

 _Or All Might,_ Izuku thought, though it wasn't as funny as it would have been any other time.

Izuku reached up to brush away whatever tears remained, hating the salty residue that coated his cheeks from tears that had dried.

"You can talk to me about this later, Midoriya," said Todoroki. "Whenever you're ready, I'll listen. For now I think you need to sleep."

Slowly Izuku nodded, letting Todoroki pull him to his feet and escort him to his room. Once there, he immediately collapsed on his bed. Izuku was only halfway mentally present when he mumbled, "Thanks," before he heard the door shut. Closing his eyes, Izuku hoped for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Just FYI, Izuku's panic attack is based on the ones I personally experience. They affect every person differently, so this is not going to be the same experience everyone has with them. This was a hard chapter to write, so let me know what you think. By the way, school is out for Thanksgiving break, so hopefully I'll be able to write a little extra this week.**

 **For this story I'm going to keep switching off between Hisashi and Izuku's perspectives, but I also want to write from a few other perspectives. I think that would disrupt the flow of the story, so I might post those separately. Is that something you all would be interested in? If so, what characters would you want to hear from?**

 **As always, let me know what you think. Comments and follows really inspire me to write, knowing that people are reading.**

 **s082829- That's a great idea, I'll have to stick it in somewhere.**

 **bajy- Your comments always make me happy! You're right about Izuku.**

 **fencer29- Your analysis is always insightful, and it helps me a ton to get an idea of how my story is being perceived.**

 **Andes Aurora- Your pyromaniac pun killed me.**

 **DARCRY- I love the idea of Arson accidentally revealing what he knows about All For One. It's a hilarious one with lots of options.**


	5. A is for Arson

Chapter 5: Arson

Hisashi was _livid._ He'd been disrespected first by Inko, then by the U.A. teachers, and even his own son. It was enough to make him burn down the entire city, not just the school. The final insult to injury, however, was when he had been escorted off the premises by Izuku's homeroom teacher. Hisashi would still contend that the man looked like a corpse, while his blond coworker was practically a skeleton walking.

Aizawa's appearance had admittedly made the man easy to underestimate, but when Hisashi's flames had just _died_ like that, he had felt powerless in a way that he hadn't experienced for years. Hisashi fantasized about setting the man on fire, especially that stupid scarf of his. Thoughts whirled through his mind with no particular organization, coming faster than Hisashi could control.

His thoughts turned to the other teacher that had been there. The man's quirk had to be something mental, because the man looked like a stiff wind would do him in. Just thinking of the man lit a fire in Hisashi, especially as he ruminated over how the man had called Izuku "Midoriya my boy." But more than that, Izuku had seemed happy with the teacher. Clearly this teacher was attempting to be some sort of father figure in Izuku's life, doubtlessly for access to Izuku's powerful quirk.

Could the blond teacher know how Izuku got such a quirk? No, Hisashi decided. Master wouldn't give a quirk to someone who couldn't keep a secret, and U.A. wouldn't be stupid enough to hire a hero with a questionable record.

As Hisashi walked farther and farther from the school, his thoughts began to marginally calm down. Over the years Hisashi had become an expert at reigning in the insanity, channeling it to benefit his purposes. This was why Master had trusted him enough to take care of matters overseas. This was also why Hisashi had yet to be caught after fourteen years of taking care of heroes that got in Master's way.

Hisashi breathed in deeply, extinguishing the flames that burned in his chest. He forcibly clenched his mouth shut, only now realizing that he had been muttering since being escorted out of U.A.

A plan. He needed a plan. Izuku would fall in line, Hisashi merely needed to show the kid they were on the same side. And then the father and son could burn down the world together.

Until then, though, Hisashi needed _something_ to fill the time he already had an occupation he thoroughly enjoyed.

Straightening his clothes, Hisashi looked around. He was in the shopping district, which was perfect. There had to be- there it was, an electronics store.

Composing himself, he pushed the insanity down, just as he always did. It was U.A., he decided. The influence of the school he hated so much had broken his control, fed the insanity until it almost broke free.

That had been Hisashi, a weak man who couldn't stand up to the insanity. He hadn't had a plan, and he hadn't prepared himself in any way. He'd foolishly trusted his mental fortitude to withstand the school's influence. After all, he'd had so much success internationally because he simply didn't have any emotion towards the people and the places he experienced. Foreign heroes were something to be toyed with, with no real consequence in Hisashi's life.

Throughout the years, he'd trained himself to be Arson, deliberate and premeditated. There were many reasons he'd never been caught, and the only reason his villain name was known outside of villain circles was because he'd felt the need to sign him more spectacular feats. The signature came in the form of the word "Arson" blazing on the ground next to the recently cremated hero.

Japan was _crawling_ with heroes, but for every hero there were people who wanted to see their demise. Arson was here to see those dreams come to fruition.

Striding into the electronics store, Hisashi felt his confident persona settle into place.

"How may I help you?" the bored shopkeeper asked.

"I'm only in Japan for a short while," Hisashi said with a charming smile. "I need a burner phone.

The shopkeeper vaguely gestured, leaving Hisashi to browse. Picking the first phone to even remotely interest him, Hisashi laid it on the counter, already pulling out his wallet.

In a bored tone, the shopkeeper started to explain how it worked, but Hisashi stopped them. "I've used them before."

After a short pause to set up his new phone, Hisashi checked the time. If he walked, he would make it just in time for opening.

Hisashi picked his way through the streets, on to the rougher parts of the city. The sun was contemplating setting, but it would be in the middle of the process by the time he reached his destination.

As he walked, Hisashi lazily formulated ways to get away with burning down U.A. Hmm… Maybe now that All Might was weakened he could take another stab at him. To this day All Might remained the only hero to survive Arson. He didn't know what the blond meathead looked like since his second fight with Master. He actively avoided all things having to do with All Might, lest he let the insanity loose. Things like U.A. and All Might that triggered his rage would only serve to feed the insanity.

His legs carried him to the place he had been thinking of, but just before he got to the night market, he ducked inot an alleyway and pulled on his Arson mask before pulling up his hood. In any other portion of the city it would have looked highly suspect, but the people in this part of town knew better than to notice things.

Fully outfitted, Hisashi approached a stooped fish vendor who was unusually silent as potential buyers passed through.

Milky eyes came to rest on Hisashi. "What kind of fish can I interest you in?"

"I'm actually a fisherman myself," Arson said with a sinister grin. "I'd like to offer my services."

"What sort of fishing?" the woman asked.

"Deep sea."

Nodding her head, the woman gave Arson a slip of paper. "It sounds like you know where to go."

Thanking the woman, Hisashi made his way to a bar that he knew all too well, merely a few blocks away.

Stepping inside, Arson immediately felt at home. He was sure no one would recognize him because the only person he had done business with was the Master himself. But with All For One in prison, arson could do whatever he wanted.

Arson knew the bar was run by Master's minions, but he also knew that Arson was Master's trump card. All For One had once explained that he kept Arson a secret just in case anyone ever turned on him. Besides, Arson wasn't bound to Master out of something so unpredictable as loyalty. Instead, Arson operated because of a debt that he now considered paid.

He had heard about All For One's minions, and Arson recognized the man standing behind the bar, Kurogiri the warp gate villain. Master had gloated about enlisting the man for months.

"What can I get for you?" the man asked in a silky voice when Arson sat down at the bar.

"I'd like to promote my services," Arson said with a smile. "I have a particular skill set that I believe is in demand."

"And what to drink?" Kurogiri asked.

"Something virgin, you choose. Alcohol and flames don't mix well," Arson said, smoke puffing from his mouth with each word.

While Kurogiri set about making Arson's drink, he asked, "What is this set of skills you would be promoting?"

"I take care of heroes, and heroes exclusively," he said easily. "But with the right price, no one will ever see the hero again."

"That's a bold claim to make," Kurogiri said. "Especially in this city. We have Endeavor, as well as all of U.A. to deal with."

Procuring a pen, Arson scribbled down a handful of names. "Consider this a portfolio of sorts. Some of my better work. I put down my contact information as well."

Job done, Arson rose to leave.

"Your drink," Kurogiri said.

"I'm not thirsty," Arson replied without turning around.

"Do we have a problem?" came a new voice, one that was the auditory equivalent of touching sandpaper.

"No, I was just leaving," Arson said easily, turning to meet eyes with the speaker.

"And why were you here?" he rasped.

"I just wanted to put out the word that I'm a man who can take care of hero infestations," Arson said, looking the other man up and down. "For the right price, that is."

Arson knew who the disgusting specimen before him was upon sight. Bright red eyes were set in a face covered in cracked skin, barely visible past the disembodied hand that rested over the man's face.

"Those are some big claims," Tomura Shigaraki rasped. "I wonder if you can live up to them."

This was the man-child that Master had hand-picked to succeed him. Over the years Master had told Arson almost too much about Shigaraki, and it only served to reinforce the instinctual knowledge that while Arson toyed with the insanity, Shigaraki had revelled in it.

However, money was money. Standing straighter, Arson said, "I wouldn't make them otherwise."

Shigaraki contemplated Arson from behind the hand on his face. "You say you deal in heroes, but what about heroes in training?"

"I can and will refuse a job," Arson said bluntly. "But if they're from U.A., my answer is probably going to be yes."

The younger man's red eyes bore into Arson, judging. "Have you heard of the Hero Killer Stain?"

Arson snorted. "Crossed paths with the man once. Frankly I couldn't stand him. He went on and on about morals and true heroes. He tried to tell me that I should help him on his path to help society. While I have some limits, as long as I'm paid the hero is dead."

After a moment a smile spread across Shigaraki's face, wide enough that the edges of the man's chapped mouth could be seen past the hand.

"I think you and I will get along famously,' Shigaraki said in that drawn-out way of his. Honestly it made Arson want to punch the man in the face.

"I can get along with anyone who has enough money," Arson said with a grin. It wasn't the full Arson grin, but it was enough to give the man-child a glimpse of the insanity.

While Hisashi claimed that it was all about money, it was a lie. While he thoroughly enjoyed what the money got him, his motivations lied elsewhere. The heroes that cost more were a bigger challenge, meaning a longer game of cat and mouse for Arson, a longer time to let the insanity reign.

"Your friend has my contact information," Arson said, a full Arson grin spreading across his face. "I'll wait to hear from you."

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter of Hisashi being the worst. Sadly enough, I wrote the majority of this chapter on Thanksgiving day. Figuring out more about Hisashi has been an... interesting process. And a little chilling. Happy late Thanksgiving to all my readers in the States! As always, let me know what you think.**

 **I mentioned that I wanted to write a few chapters from other perspectives, but I didn't want it to disrupt the flow of the story. This fic is going to bounce between Izuku and Hisashi, but only Izuku and Hisashi. However, I am going to post bonus chapters from other perspectives as a separate story. The first chapter is from Aizawa's perspective, and I should have it posted within the next hour or so, so keep an eye out for that if it's something that interests you.**

 **sweatybutt96- No, this will not be TodoDeku. Todoroki just seemed like the best person to help Deku. I don't really have any romantic pairings planned.**

 **fencer29- I enjoy constructive criticism, and you always bring up things that I hadn't thought about. I just want to say though, while everyone can tell that there's something off about Hisashi, legally they can't do anything.**

 **bajy- Your comments always brighten my day!**

 **patrickthenobleman- That's a great comparison I hadn't thought of. Prepare yourself for some heavy Dad Might.**

 **lostdog200- Good to know people are reading!**

 **DARCRY- I do enjoy your ideas. I'm looking for an opportunity to incorporate them.**


	6. Midoriya

Chapter 6: Midoriya

The world was burning around Izuku. He didn't know where he was, there was only flame and smoke burning his eyes and throat.

Izuku was searching for… someone. _Anyone._ There was danger, the source behind the fire. A villain? It was endlessly frustrating to Izuku that he didn't know the situation.

He crept around the maze of flames, searching desperately for… whoever was in danger. As he moved forward he found that the flames parted enough for Izuku to recognize that he was in U.A. It made Izuku sick to see the destruction of his beloved school.

Izuku turned down an unfamiliar hallway, dread growing with every step. His pace quickened until he was at the end of the hallway, faced with four rooms.

He had to bite back his horror when he opened the door to the first room. A scorched skeleton lay in the room with a single word burning next to the skeleton on the ground: Arson. Shaking, Izuku moved to check the other rooms. The second and third rooms were exactly the same as the first, and the fourth would have as well, save for the dried mud scattered all around the floor.

Somehow Izuku just knew that the fourth room held the body of Mississippi Mud, the American swamp hero that had recently died. Before Izuku could further investigate though, he heard a scream that he recognized- Uraraka.

Sprinting through the school, through the flames Izuku found his way to his old classroom, the one from their first year. Wrenching the door open, Izuku found all members of his classroom ablaze, flames licking every desk, every corner of the room.

He didn't see his classmates at first, but they were there, lying still on the floor, never to move again.

It was Uraraka he found first, her face still twisted in terror from the scream Izuku had heard. Upon seeing her, Izuku stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over Iida in the process. 9

Izuku stifled screams and sobs as he found more and more of his friends. Tsuyu. Todoroki. Kirishima.

"Young Katsuki was right," a chilling voice said. Izuku whipped around to find a figure lurking at the head of the classroom, cloaked in flames.

"He called you a 'useless Deku,' and I must agree," the figure said. "You couldn't save a single person, but you can at least die with them."

Flames began to dance around Izuku, higher and higher until-

"Midoriya," a worried voice broke through the nightmare, hands on his shoulders jolting Izuku awake.

Izuku was violently gasping, as his hands grasped the thin arms that held onto him. As his breathing and heart rate calmed, he registered who was sitting on his bed.

"All Might?"

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, young Midoriya, but I couldn't let you suffer like that." All Might said, clearly unsure of what to do in this situation. "I can leave if you want, but if you need to talk about anything-"

All Might was cut off by Izuku throwing his arms around the slight man, sobbing quietly into All Might's shoulder. The hero's hands fluttered in the air before coming to rest on Izuku's back.

"He's been gone my whole life," Izuku said through the tears, slightly pulling away. "Mom tried to hide it from me, but I know he's visited Japan for work and he didn't want to see me. I was a quirkless failure. He came back because he saw the sports festival."

All Might rubbed his successor's back, unable to formulate any words.

Taking a shuddering breath, Izuku couldn't stop the outpour of words. "I learned when I was young that I couldn't expect a lot from Hi-hisashi. I had Mom, and it was more than enough. But when he came back I thought maybe things would be different, maybe he would want me now. I was so stupid to expect anything from him. I had a _panic attack_ because of the man, because… because he wasn't…"

"Because he wasn't what?" All Might prompted.

Izuku sniffed, tear-filled eyes meeting All Might's. "Because he wasn't you," the boy blurted. "I know I have no right, and I'm sorry, but I stopped seeing you as a mentor and m ore as a father. I know it's selfish and stupid-I mean, my father is alive, which is more than a lot of kids have, and my Mom is the best. I just-"

His mumbling was cut off by All Might pulling him in for an even tighter hug. "The feeling is mutual, Midoriya my boy. I'm not offended that you see me as a father. I couldn't be more proud."

The two stayed like that until Izuku pulled away, wiping at his eyes. "I should probably let Todoroki know I'm okay, he found me in the middle of my panic attack."

All Might nodded, following Izuku out (and pretending not to notice that his face was plastered on every surface of the boy's room.)

Izuku made his way downstairs to the main area. It was a lot more relaxed than it had been, with all of his classmates mulling around, making a group effort for dinner, each person with varying degrees of helpfulness.

Uraraka was floating aa stack of plates to the table when she spotted him. "Oh Deku, you're back!"

This caught everyone's attention, but someone had clearly drilled his classmates so they wouldn't make a big fuss. They collectively stopped to stare at Izuku before hurriedly turning back to their various tasks.

 _That was a strange reception…_ Izuku thought.

There was a scuffle in the kitchen followed by a small explosion. Hands smoking, Bakugou emerged, a foul look on his face.

"If I have to make katsudon for that stupid nerd then I'm going to find out what's wrong with him," he raged, shoving Kirishima out of the way. "I don't care what you losers say, and I'm not afraid of the half and half ba-" Bakugou cut himself off with a glance at Uraraka. "I'm not afraid of Icy Hot. What's wrong with you, Deku? If I was forced to cook your fricken katsudon for some pansy reason, I swear I'll blow your head off."

As Izuku met Bakugou's red eyes, he tried to smile. "It's not big deal, really. I just had a visitor that's all. There's no need to worry, Kacchan."

Bakugou's glare narrowed. "Don't pull that crap, Deku. Who was your visitor?"

Izuku found himself swallowing thickly. "It w-was just my dad."

While others in the room tried to hide their shock, a moment of understanding passed between Izuku and Bakugou. Clenching his jaw, Bakugou paused a moment before saying, "You better eat every fricken bite of katsudon."

"Thanks for making it, Kacchan," Izuku said, now with a genuine smile.

"You have to go grocery shopping next time," was the only reply.

Izuku felt everyone's eyes on him, so he plucked the forgotten plates out of the air. "I'll help you set the table, Uraraka."

The girl blushed, quickly releasing her quirk. "I forgot they were there."

"Kacchan wasn't swearing, does that mean you finally beat him at chess?" Izuku asked, slightly desperate for a new topic.

"Yeah, it was actually with one of the moves you taught me!" she said, perking up. "When he moved his bishop…"

Once Izuku had broken the silence, all of Class 1-A took this as a cue to start their own conversations. A steady hum filled the common area, and Izuku appreciated that no one brought up his father. He didn't miss the worried looks they shot him from time to time, but it warmed his heart to know that they cared, even if his father didn't.

A few minutes later, Bakugou laid a steaming dish of katsudon onto the table, and Izuku eagerly dug in. "Wow Kacchan, this is almost as good as Mom's!"

A few people tensed up to see how Bakugou would react to the comparison, but the boy merely snorted. "With how great your mom is at cooking, you're really a disappointment, Deku."

"Hey, Deku can make good onigiri!" Uraraka was quick to come to his defense.

"Yeah, if someone else cooks the rice," Bakugou sneered. He went to take a bite, only to find the rice frozen to his chopsticks. Levelling a glare at Todoroki, he growled, "Icy Hot."

Todoroki's face remained impassive, but Izuku saw the mischief in his eyes. "Your rice looks a little undercooked, Bakugou."

"I'LL KILL YOU, ICY HOT!"

Around the table, various classmates were positively cackling at Bakugou and Todoroki. The rest of the meal carried on much like that. Izuku didn't think he stopped smiling once throughout it all.

Once the meal was over, Izuku stood up and started collecting plates. No less than seven people moved to stop him.

"Midoriya, you don't have to help out tonight, just relax," Kirishima said above the others.

"But it's my day to do the dishes," Izuku protested as Ojiro calmly took the pile of plates out of his hands.

"Mineta volunteered to fill in for you," Ashido said brightly. "So you really should just relax.

Mineta started to protest, but upon seeing a multitude of murderous looks he ducked his head and shuffled into the kitchen.

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "Well, if I'm not needed here then I should probably go call my mom."

Everyone startled when a small explosion sounded. "You haven't called your mom yet, stupid Deku?" Bakugou seethed. "She worries even more than you! Go call her before she has a heart attack."

Izuku felt his eyes widen. "You're right, Kacchan! Thanks for dinner, everyone."

Rushing upstairs, Izuku was already dialing his mom's number. She picked up on the first ring.

"Izuku? Has your father been there talking with you the entire time? He just left without saying where he was going. I should have warned you, I-"

"I'm okay Mom," he interrupted. Surprisingly as he spoke he realized it was true; he genuinely felt okay after seeing all that his friends had done for him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said with forced brightness. "He's finding a new apartment, so things will go back to normal soon. How did meeting him go?"

"He was… different than I expected," Izuku said hesitantly.

"You don't have to do anything, Izuku," Inko said fiercely. "If you don't want to talk to him you don't have to. Remember, this is all your decision. I want you to do what's best for you. If he tries to do anything, I'll take care of him."

Izuku almost laughed- he had never heard his mother sounds so grim before. "I love you, Mom."

"And I love you more than anything, Izuku."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. It's dead week for me, and I'm definitely feeling a little dead. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up because next week is finals. However, I should have the next chapter of the other perspectives up really quickly, get ready to read All Might's take on the whole situation. As always leave a comment, let me know what you liked, what I could work on. I love hearing from all of you.**

 **patrickthenobleman- Hisashi knows about All Might's weakened form, but he doesn't know what he looks like in it. Hisashi also does everything he can to avoid news about heroes and any mentions of heroes.**

 **bajy- Your comments always make my day!**

 **fencer29- I had forgotten about them abandoning the bar... whoops. Thanks for the reminder.**

 **DARCRY1- Hisashi taking Izuku to meet his work friends is the funniest idea. I'll see what I can do.**


	7. The Sentiment of Hisashi

Chapter 7: Hisashi

It was late when Hisashi found his way back to his house. He had walked around the city for a while after leaving the bar, mentally figuring out ways he could take out heroes with various quirks. It helped shove down the insanity, and Hisashi needed control. He'd rushed into this without preparing, and it had led to some stupid mistakes. But they weren't irreparable mistakes, it would just take some calculating and some charm.

When he walked inside, Inko was sitting at the table staring at a cup of tea. Of course the woman was still awake. Looking at him, Inko took a long sip of tea from- was that an All Might mug? Oh, he was going to break that later. Hisashi had found that to keep the insanity in check, it was better to do everything he could to avoid mention of heroes, unless he was planning an assassination. The more heroes were talked about, the more trouble Hisashi had keeping his flames in check.

"How did your talk with Izuku go?" Inko asked coldly. "You've been gone for a long time."

"It was good to see him," Hisashi said, doing his best to sound like a doting father. "He's grown so much."

"That does happen when you haven't seen your son for over a decade," Inko said more bitingly than he knew she was capable of. "I got Izuku's room ready for you- I need to get to sleep so I can make it to work on time tomorrow." With that, Inko placed the offensive mug into the sink and marched away, the bedroom door audibly shutting.

Hisashi glared at the mug he would definitely destroy tomorrow before making his way to hi son's room. He was looking forward to collapsing into bed and forgetting that heroes existed.

He stumbled through the house towards Izuku's room. Blearily turning on the light, Hisashi jerked back in horror when it illuminated the room.

 _All Might_ grinned at Hisashi from literally every surface of the room. Most prominently was the wall tapestry that covered the largest wall almost entirely, depicting the man in his more famous costumes. Every horizontal surface save the bed hosted figurines of various sizes, not all of All might, but all were heroes.

Hisashi tentatively walked over to the bed, covered with a simple comforter that looked suspiciously like the design from one of All Might's suits. Pulling down the covers, he winced to see a pattern consisting of hundreds of tiny All Might faces on the sheets.

Sleep did not come easily to Hisashi that night. He tossed and turned, feeling possibly thousands of little heroes' eyes on him, needling the insanity. Finally Hisashi snapped, deliberately setting the tapestry ablaze. He watched, satisfied as there was a little less All Might in the world.

Before it was even halfway finished burning, an ear-splitting alarm wailed across the house, soon followed by Inko crashing through the doorway, fire extinguisher in hand.

With a yelp she sprayed the tapestry indiscriminately, a good portion of the foam covering Hisashi himself.

He spluttered. "Inko! What-"

"The tapestry!" she fussed. "What happened? Izuku will be so sad!"

"I sneezed," Hisashi said flatly, flingin foam off his cheek. "What's with the fire alarms? We spent so much money on those ones designed for people with fire-based quirks."

They had been a necessary addition to the house; back then Hisashi hadn't had fantastic control over his quirk. The original fire alarms had been incredibly sensitive, going off any time Hisashi used his quirk in the slightest."

"I sold them to the Bakugos when their son developed his quirk," Inko said shortly. "There was no reason to keep them since no one here had a fire quirk. Now can you try to avoid setting them house on fire for the rest of the night?"

Hisashi nodded, finding himself feeling the smallest hints of guilt before he remembered that he had done this on purpose.

Hisashi assured his wife that he would try to avoid setting things on fire before Inko left for bed again. Sleep once again evaded Hisashi, leaving him too much time to think-to plot. It was around four a.m. that Hisashi had his breakthrough. There were two things that Hisashi he needed to see ot immediately. First, he needed an apartment as soon as humanly possible. Between Inko and the army of All Mights in Izuku's room, Hisashi couldn't handle this house.

But as soon as that was taken care of, Hisashi had a plan to get Izuku to open up to him, he would just have to swallow his pride. But depending on how Izuku reacted, it would let Hisashi know where his son's true alliances were.

Hisashi answered before the first ring had finished. "Yes?"

"Would you like to participate in an over the phone survey to be entered in a drawing to win-"

"It is four-thirty in the morning," Hisashi hissed, smoke puffing out of his mouth. As he hung up, he desperately waved at the smoke leaking out of his mouth, careful to disperse it so it would not set off the alarm again.

Clenching his jaw, Hisashi sprawled back on the pathetic twin bed that that belonged to his son. It was pretty awful. How much money had he been sending to Inko? Hisashi remembered that he had wanted to avoid her suspicion, so he had sent her a pittance compared to his earnings. (He also enjoyed his money to its fullest extent in various countries.)

But if this was the bed Inko had been able to provide for their son, clearly he needed to be giving her more money. He did come back to Japan under the guise of a promotion…

Even as Hisashi contemplated all of this, even in the dark room his eyes found the scorch mark on the ceiling, a permanent mark to remember the night that had changed his life forever.

Somehow he had avoided looking at the mark the entire night, but now that he had looked, Hisashi couldn't tear his eyes away. His chest felt tight, as if the ghost of the man he's once been was squeezing what little bit of a heart he had left.

Yes, Hisashi needed to leave this house before he became _sentimental._

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, I'm not dead! Sorry for the extra long wait! Finals nearly killed me and I needed a sort of mental break afterwards. The combination of stress from finals and writing from Hisashi's perspective was making me into a less than kind person, so I decided to spare my poor roommates and take a little break. In the meantime I've been developing some ideas for additional BNHA fics, which I'm kind of excited about. I also did some extensive planning for this fic, as I've been kind of flying by the seat of my pants this far. Hopefully that will improve the quality of the writing.**

 **I also have a quick favor to ask. I know I've asked for constructive criticism, and it's been amazing so far. Everyone has been polite about what I can improve on, and it's making me a better author in the process. I had finally gotten to a place where I felt I could be kind of proud of my writing. However, one of my "friends" stole one of my notebooks and read it without permission. It was a first draft, and written on two hours of sleep. I know it was garbage, but he totally destroyed what little confidence I had in my writing. Screw you, Stephen. I swear, he's like my version of Bakugo. I feel a little pathetic, but along with your constructive criticisms, could you maybe write what I'm doing okay, or why you're still reading?**

 **Thanks to all my wonderful readers. I appreciate every comment, my emotional problems aside. Happy Holidays to everyone, and I hope to update more frequently while I'm still on school break.**


	8. Lil' Zuku

Chapter 8: Izuku

As much as he didn't want to think about the man, Izuku couldn't help but obsessively think about his father. He didn't know nearly enough about the man, the man who was in the same house as his mother. The thought made Izuku sick.

He called his mom as early as he dared, around seven in the morning.

"Izuku, are you okay?" she immediately answered.

"I'm fine Mom, are _you_ okay? Has he done anything?" Izuku asked.

"Last night he accidentally set your All Might tapestry on fire. I'm so sorry, Izuku, I put it out, but it's a little scorched in one corner-"

"But are you okay, Mom?" Izuku interrupted.

"Oh, I'm fine," she assured.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, his mind briefly wondering which corner of the tapestry burned. He hoped it wasn't Silver Age All Might.

Pushing those thoughts away, Izuku said, "Is he there right now? I can come visit you today, I don't want you alone in the house with him."

"He left about twenty minutes ago," Inko answered. "He's going apartment hunting as we speak, as well as some other errands. I'll be fine, Izuku. I promise."

"But-"

"You visited me last weekend," Inko interrupted. "And every weekend before that. I know you were planning to go do something with your friends today, you deserve to go have fun."

"But-"

"No arguments, Izuku. I'm fine, I can handle him. I did marry him, after all." Izuku could practically _hear_ Inko's kind smile. "Tell your friends I said hi."

Izuku found himself with a small smile. "I will, Mom. Promise me you'll call if anything happens."

"I promise. I love you so much, Izuku."

"And I love you too, Mom."

Izuku hung up, worry after worry marching through his mind. It was the never-ending procession of anxiety, Izuku's faithful companion his entire life.

Izuku sjoo, his head, as if it would halt the parade. Mom was right, he should just go enjoy a day with his friends, it was a rare occasion he'd looked forward to. He could think around his anxieties, he'd been doing it his whole life. The pit in his stomach couldn't stop him from having fun, and a distraction was just the thing he needed.

Prepared to go retrieve his mother at the first sign of trouble, Izuku was already dressed and raring for the day's events. However, Izuku knew his friends were definitely still asleep, something Izuku was a little envious of. Ever since he had begun his training with All Might, Izuku's body naturally woke disgustingly early-unless he was injured and subject to Recovery Girl's quirk.

It was barely past seven and he and his friends had agreed to leave around ten-thirty, leaving Izuku three hours of free time. Normally he would've filled it with homework, but in an attempt to distract himself from thinking about his father, Izuku had attacked his homework with desperation. He had finished his homework at roughly three in the morning, but still Midoriya Hisashi plagued his thoughts. That led Izuku to start on _next week's_ homework as well, only stopping when he literally could not keep his eyes open anymore. Thankfully he hadn't dreamt at all, though he woke up muttering in English. That had been weird.

Desperate, Izuku laid back in bed, scrolling through various hero news sites. One good thing about becoming more fluent in English was that it opened up absurd amounts of information to Izuku giving him access to knowledge of heroes around the world. It had prompted Izuku to start a new series of notebooks, each color-coded by country. He was particularly interested in America, probably because of All Might's love for the place-not that Izuku would ever admit that.

Pausing, Izuku clicked on an article talking about Mississippi Mud, the young swamp hero that had been murdered-how long ago was that? Izuku had read about it the day before Hisashi made a reappearance in Japan. That felt like years ago, but had it really only been two days?

The article was more detailed than the previous ones, as the police were releasing new evidence. However, it was clear that they were no closer to finding the culprit. It broke his heart, but part of Izuku knew that Mississippi Mud's murder would go unsolved, and the young hero would slowly fade away as if he had never existed.

However, some of the new evidence caught Izuku's eye, sending a chill down his spine. Tucked at the bottom of the article, as if the journalist doubted anyone would care, was an analysis of the scorch marks found near the remains of the fallen hero. The highly technical language had escaped Izuku- most of the words probably would've been unfamiliar even if it had been in Japanese.

But Izuku had definitely seen these words before. He lurched to his bedroom floor, blindly feeling under his bed to find the one notebook he felt the need to hide. Its cover was blank black, and for some reason it felt like Izuku's greatest failure.

He knew it was silly to feel that way, but Izuku had been following the villain's career for years. The notebook came with a binder containing numerous articles about various unsolved hero murders that Izuku was fairly sure could be attributed to the villain named Arson. The notebook, however, was not very full, as it only contained the information Izuku _knew_ about the villain.

Arson was only ever on record killing heroes, but Izuku was frustratingly aware that he only had a few fragments of the picture. However, somehow only killing heroes somehow fit with how Arson seemed to operate, drawing each hero out into a secluded area with no witnesses. A lot of the time the heroes were lesser-known, and most of them were young, but on the verge of greatness. It was like he had a hit list of some sort, designed to stamp out hope.

Izuku flipped through the notebook to where he had written the specifics of Arson's fire, and there were those same words, whatever they said. He had meticulously copied down the excessively long English words, which essentially meant that Arson's flames were extraordinarily hot, even hotter than Endeavor's Hellfire. He himself couldn't confirm it, but Izuku felt it in his bones that Mississippi Mud had been murdered by Arson, just as Mississippi Mud's mentor had been.

Izuku scribbled Mississippi Mud's name on the list of possible Arson victims, adding one more dot to the map of Arson's kills. He studied the map, which was color-coded both by year and whether or not it was confirmed to be Arson. He studied the map intently when a knock sounded at the door.

Jerking up, Izuku shoved both binder and notebook under his bed, desperately hoping he hadn't been muttering too loudly. He got up, stumbling to the door.

Midnight stood at the door (thankfully in civilian clothes), yawning. "You have a visitor, kid."

Izuku felt his anxieties begin the procession in full force once again, the pit in his stomach widening to a chasm He found he couldn't do more than squeak, "Oh?"

"He's waiting for you," Midnight said. "He's pretty inconsiderate, though, visiting before noon on a Sunday."

Izuku mumbled an apology, feeling sick. Unfortunately the muttering took over, and Izuku couldn't stop apologizing.

"Whoa. Whoa, Midoriya!" Midnight said, stopping him. "I was just joking, kid. What's wrong?"

Nervously brushing his hair back, Izuku laughed, a nervous, flighty sound. "I just don't really know how to talk to - or about- my f-father."

Midnight halted mid-stride, swearing under her breath. "Eraser warned us to be wary of a parent we didn't recognize. I didn't realize it was your father. I'm sorry, Midoriya."

"Uh, it's no big deal," Izuku protested, feeling even more nauseous. "I… I can just meet with him alone, I don't want to take up too much of your time, Midnight."

"Nonsense, Midoriya. You're not going alone. In fact," the pro-hero paused, her eyes fixing on a passing student, "I'm calling in reinforcements."

Lightning quick, Midnight's hand lashed out, reeling in one Shoto Todoroki. The boy simply raised an eyebrow in askance.

"So delightfully submissive," Midnight purred, a concerning glint in her eye. But it morphed into something far more calculating. "Todoroki, would your ice be able to counter a fire quirk, or just put out fires in general?"

"Yes?"

"Perfect, you're accompanying me to observe and potentially intervene while Midoriya speaks with his father," she commanded.

Todoroki straightened immediately, suddenly totally awake and alert. "Yes ma'am."

"Really, you two don't have to waste time just to-" Izuku began, but he was soon cut off by Midnight.

"Finish that sentence, Midoriya, and I'll go wake up Eraserhead to supervise," she warned, eyes drilling into Izuku. "You are not a waste of time. We're ensuring your safety and your well-being. You wouldn't hesitate to do the same for someone else, so just let us help you."

Izuku hesitantly nodded, content to follow Midnight to U.A. As he had expected, she led him to the same room he'd first met Hisashi in. He couldn't see the man inside just yet, but Izuku could _sense_ the man like a malevolent cloud hanging over him.

Midnight and Todoroki slipped in, giving Izuku no choice but to follow. He stepped in, worried at seeing the cold mask that settled over Todoroki's face. There was something hostile in his eyes as they rested on one Hisashi Midoriya.

"Izuku, son!" Hisashi said, a thousand times happier than the last time he'd visited. "How are you? Who are these people?"

"I'm fine," Izuku said flatly. "This is one of my teachers and one of my friends." He couldn't say why he felt the need to keep their names from Hisashi, but Izuku found he didn't want to give any information about them.

Todoroki caught on, saying, "We'll be waiting outside, Midoriya. Remember you need to keep it short, we've got to work on that project almost all day."

Izuku nodded, thankful for the excuse to kick Hisashi out before too long. That said, Midnight and Todoroki filed out, but not without Todoroki meeting Izuku's eyes once more, promising aid if needed.

He watched the door close behind Todoroki, panic filling his chest. Izuku slowly turned around. A wide smile adorned Hisashi's face, but chaos swirled within the man's black eyes, sending a shiver down Izuku's spine.

"Hello, Mr. Midoriya," Izuku said, proud that his voice didn't shake. "You came back sooner than expected."

"Well, when a man is finally in the same country as his son, it only makes sense he would want to spend all the time together they could," Hisashi said smoothly. He made Izuku think of a salesman, selling the idea that he was a kind, trustworthy father. "I'm sure you feel the same."

"School is very demanding on my time, Mr. Midoriya. I'm sure you understand how I have to keep my future in mind. Any free time I have is usually spent with my mother or my friends, the people I actually know," Izuku said coldly.

Hisashi's smile didn't slip, but something about it grew sharper. "We have very similar philosophies, son. That's why I'm so determined to get to know you."

Izuku merely stared at the man, knowing full well that after sixteen years the father and son should already know one another. There was really nothing to say to the man's declaration.

"With the time differences between us I could never get your birthday straight, and this year work was hammering down, so I completely missed it. To make it up to you I've got a belated birthday present."

Izuku worked to keep a cold expression in place, but as Hisashi produced a huge gift bag, he couldn't help but feel some rising excitement. The bag was from Izuku's favorite store in all of Musutafu, a store that held rare and amazing hero merchandise. Izuku only had a handful of things from that store, but those things were some of his most cherished possessions.

To see a bag that large, Izuku attempted to stamp out his excitement and curiosity, but it was impossible. He hesitantly accepted the bag, hands resting on the handles uncomfortably.

"Thanks," Izuku said lamely. "And this year it's only four month late."

Hisashi's jaw clenched a moment before he eased once more into a grin. "Better late than never, right Izuku?"

"Thank you for the gift, Mr. Midoriya," Izuku said blandly.

"Well go on, open it!" Hisashi urged.

Izuku nodded, slightly mad at himself for the excitement that remained. Reaching into the bag, Izuku drew out the largest box, one that was big enough that it had to be one of the hero plushies that he'd secretly dreamed about getting for years. Who would it be? The man had spent a night in Izuku's room, so it had to be fairly obvious who his favorite hero was. But there were so many other heroes Izuku would love to have merchandise from. His hands shook slightly as he moved to open the box with a sort of reverence. The lid of the box was slowly lifted to reveal the unsmiling face of-

"Endeavor," Izuku said flatly.

"Exactly!" Hisashi said, clapping his hands. "You have a lot of All Might things, so I figured you would want to update your stuff to the new Number One Hero. Endeavor has always been my personal favorite, maybe it's because we both have fire quirks."

 _You two should get together and swap parenting methods,_ Izuku thought. It was clear that Hisashi wanted some sort of response from Izuku, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scowling face adorned in flames. Before he could stop himself, Izuku blurted, "It's all Endeavor, isn't it?"

"He is the number one hero," Hisashi said with a grin.

Izuku smiled weakly. "Thank you, Mr. Midoriya. I'd love to stay, but I have to go work on that project now."

Hisashi sighed in what was probably supposed to be disappointment, but very much sounded like frustration. "Well, expect to see me again, Izuku. I'm not going anywhere."

Roughly shoving the box into the massive gift bag, he briefly waved at his father before practically throwing himself out of the room.

Todoroki and Midnight stood in the hallway waiting for Izuku and Hisashi. Stationing himself by Todoroki's side, Izuku watched as Midnight escorted Hisashi away, his scarred hand tightening on the gift bag.

This time Hisashi made no move to hug Izuku, instead only looking back as he stalked away, the look on his face sending shivers down Izuku's spine.

* * *

 **A/N: And I'm back! Sorry for the longer wait on this one, the Christmas break was a lot busier than I expected. I'm back at school now, and I'm still a full-time student with two jobs, so I'm not going to commit to any sort of schedule for this story. Thank you to everyone that commented, it really helped me and gave me more motivation to write. As always, let me know what you thought, any constructive criticism is welcome, comments and follows really do give me motivation. I'm working on the extras as well. The next character we're going to hear from is Bakugo. Let me know if there are any characters that you want to hear from, I welcome any ideas!**

 **Swanhilde- Thank you! The pacing is something I think about a lot, so I'm glad it's paying off!**

 **fencer29- I'm glad I could write to your sadistic side. Thank you for the encouraging comments, and I'm working on the extras, expect to hear from quite a few characters. I'll likely take a break to concentrate on that before I get to the next Hisashi chapter.**

 **bajy- Your comments are always a ray of sunshine in my day!**

 **s082829-I'm glad you enjoy the Dad Might, because that's half the reason I'm writing this story. I'm working on how Izuku is going to explode.**

 **MarvelNinja10- Thank you! I'm glad I could write something a little new.**

 **AnnabethCA- Thank you so much, I was so happy when I read your comment!**

 **Reminder bot- Thanks for the gentle reminder, as well as the assurance that people do like this story.**


	9. Arson is for Fire

Chapter 9: Arson

Hisashi couldn't help the smile that twitched onto his face when he saw Izuku's reaction to his gift. The boy had clearly been hesitant to accept anything from his father, but his reaction to the gift itself was everything Hisashi could have wanted. Upon opening the box a variety of emotions had flashed over the boy's face: barely repressed anger, frustration, maybe even some hatred, but best of all was the sheer _disgust._

It was the perfect reaction. Hisashi had been worried at first, because Izuku seemed to idolize every hero he came across. But now Hisashi saw that the boy was just a good actor. He had most likely built up a tolerance for the heroes at U.A. so he could infiltrate the school more easily. Hisashi saw now that it was all a carefully curated act so Izuku could be the perfect spy for All For One.

Hisashi couldn't be more proud.

Now it was up to him to find a way to make their efforts into a family business. He didn't pretend to have any particular loyalty to All For One, the man had simply been a means to an end. But if chaos was on the agenda, Hisashi was content.

Strolling down the street, Hisashi made his way back to the Midoriya household. If only Inko knew that both members of her family were living with stolen quirks. A part of him wanted to tell the woman, just to see how she would react. Hisashi was fairly sure the woman would have a heart attack.

The house wasn't too far from U.A. and before long Hisashi found himself at the front door. He toed up the welcome mat to find-

No spare key.

Crouching down, Hisashi searched a little more diligently, but there was still no key to be found. All Hisashi's search provided was that day's newspaper, open to a page containing ads for available apartments around Musutafu. This had clearly been Inko's work.

Hisashi clenched his teeth, although the faintest stirrings of approval flashed through his mind. At least she had a backbone.

Inko's message was clear: Hisashi was no longer welcome here. It was just as well. As soon as HIsashi started getting jobs, he needed to be in a place that he could come and go as he pleased. His hours would have doubtlessly raised Inko's suspicion.

Picking up the newspaper, Hisashi found a stack of printed sheets underneath. Oh, it was the paperwork for divorce. This probably should have evoked some emotion within him, but all the papers elicited was minor annoyance.

Glancing at the newspaper, Hisashi decided to walk to the first apartment that appealed to him in the slightest. It was a private place and already furnished. Upon entering the apartment, Hisashi slapped a year's worth of rent in cash into the landlord's hand before shooing the man away.

Throwing his bag onto the bed, Hisashi was wondering what to do with himself when his work phone rang.

A wide smile spread across his face as he pressed answer. "Yes?"

"I'm calling about a pest problem," A raspy voice on the other line said. "I hear you specialize in exterminating heroes."

"I do for the right price," Hisashi said languidly.

"You'll get all the money you wish. But first I need to see some kind of proof of your skill."

"Fine, I'll do a test run for you. It will still cost, though. I don't do anything for free," Hisashi growled. "This time I'll just wait for payment until afterward. If I don't get paid in cash then I'll take my price out on you."

"Don't worry, you'll get your money as soon as you deliver," the voice promised.

"So who's my trial target?" Hisashi asked, his smile impossibly growing.

"A fairly new hero. He's young and disgustingly promising, and he's getting too close to some… projects I've been working on."

"I don't care what the hero is involved in, or what you're involved in for that matter. Just give me the hero's name and consider it done."

"Very well, what's your price?"

"We'll negotiate once I know more about the hero. Now give me the details about your pest."

It was going to be a simple job, the hero a rookie with little to no self-preservation skills. The job would be nothing to brag about, but if nothing else it was a way to occupy Hisashi's time.

Mind filled with the prospect, Hisashi laid down to let his mental processes work their magic until Arson had a plan.

Before too long his eyes fluttered closed. Almost immediately Hisashi found himself back in the house, but it was the house as he remembered it, emanating warmth and familiarity. He felt like a ghost of his former self, the man who had lived to put his family before himself. Hisashi knew that if he looked in the mirror, he would look years younger, especially with his mop of black curls that looked remarkably like his son's.

Hisashi wandered aimlessly through the house, pausing to fondly run his fingers down the doorframe where Inko had marked Izuku's height as soon as the child began to stand. An idle part of his mind pondered over how tall Izuku would be as an adult.

Before the man could get too comfortable, though, Hisashi heard a sharp cry from Izuku's room. Heart pounding, Hisashi rushed to his son's room, wrenching open the door.

Every time he had this dream, Hisashi knew in the back of his mind that this was coming, yet every time it nearly stopped Hisashi's heart. Smoke filled the air as flames stood between the man and his terrified infant.

Through the smoke Hisashi could only catch glimpses of the child, a flash of green here, a grasping hand there. Staring. Hisashi peered through the hazy smoke, preparing to-

Hisashi lurched awake, his mind occupied with the image of green eyes staring at him through the smoke even as the flames licked higher and higher towards the ceiling. Ignoring how his hands shook, he shoved off the bed, stalking through his new apartment.

He _hated_ that dream more than anything else in the world. It always messed with his head, dredging up emotions he had elected to bury instead.

Even now the image of Izuku's eyes haunted him. Those green eyes were meant to behold the wonders of the world; they had a way of reflecting and magnifying all that was good. But seeing those same eyes filled with panic and fear was enough to bother Hisashi at the very least. A part of him wanted to find his son and comfort the boy, let him know that everything would be okay.

Shaking his head, Hisashi pushed away any lingering sentimentality. He was no longer that man and would never be him again. Somehow he had to once more bury Midoriya Hisashi underneath Arson.

A hero hunt would be the perfect thing.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, it was a harder one to write than I thought and I was getting some serious writer's block. It's a little shorter than usual as well thanks to my busy class and work schedule. Thank you all for being so patient though! I rewrote this several times, and I hope it paid off. As always, let me know what you think and/or what I can improve on! I love all the constructive criticism everyone gives me.**

 **I think that last chapter has the most comments I've ever gotten, and to answer most (if not all) of your questions, yes, you will get to see Izuku and Todoroki burn the Endeavor merch! I actually can't wait to write that part in particular. I'm still writing the Extras that have the perspectives of other characters throughout this story, so check that out if you still haven't, and let me know who you'd like to hear from!**

 **See you next time!**


	10. Izuku

Chapter 10: Izuku

Following his mother's advice, Izuku had gone out with his friends just like he'd been planning to. He'd actually been waiting for this day for months, and he decided not t o let Hisashi ruin yet another good thing. After all, even after knowing the man personally for some time now, not even the devil himself could stop Izuku from seeing the new All Might documentary in theaters.

Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki were joining Izuku, and the four had plans for a nice lunch afterwards. They were even allowed special seats at the theater, seats usually reserved for heroes. It was all like something out of one of Izuku's fantasies. As they walked towards the theater, he was finding it easier and easier to forget about his father.

The owner of the theater met the four heroes to be at the front door, a wide grin on his face. "Why if it isn't Deku, the next top hero!"

Izuku felt his face radiate heat as he blushed profusely. "That's a bit far, Mr. Tateoka."

"No, boy," the man said seriously. "I've seen hundreds of heroes come and go, and you're something special. And trust me, I'm not just saying that because you saved my life. You're going to inspire people one day, just like All Might."

"Th-thank you, Mr. Tateoka," Izuku said, using all of his willpower to hold back his tears.

"No problem, enjoy the movie, kids," the man said, directing them to the designated hero seats. A small thrill ran through him thinking about all of the pros who had sat there before him, and a part of him wondered whether or not All Might himself had sat there.

He sat between Todoroki and Uraraka, with Iida by Uraraka lecturing about the ramifications of eating too much popcorn before the movie began. Anyone outside of their circle would have missed it, but Todoroki was nearly as excited as Izuku. There was a kinship between the two of them, both finding support in All Might when their fathers were found lacking.

Reminded of something important, Izuku leaned over to Todoroki. "Once we get back to U.A., do you want to have a training session together? We could work on some target practice."

Todoroki stared at Izuku for a moment before he slowly nodded, clearly confused. "I've been meaning to work on accuracy, I suppose."

Humming in contentment, Izuku was about to say something to Uraraka when the lights dimmed. His breath caught in his throat, and as the advertisements began playing, suddenly it was like the screen and Izuku were the only things that existed.

He felt his heart nearly stop when the advertisements were over. The screen went dark before sounds of chaos filtered through. Izuku's body went taut from the mere seconds of audio that he knew better than he knew himself.

A flaming cityscape came into focus as a voice said, "Who is he? The guy's already saved a hundred people at least and it hasn't even been ten minutes! This is- this is crazy! I can't believe it!"

Silent tears were already coursing down Izuku's cheeks as he stared at he hulking form that was emerging from the wreckage, laden with civilians. As he appeared, his smile was visible, his laugh ringing out and resonating with Izuku's very soul.

As always, the citizens in the recording murmured around All Might, but Izuku barely noticed because of what he knew was coming:

" _Fear not citizens, hope has arrived- because I am here!"_

With as many times as Izuku had seen the video, one would think that it's impact would have worn off, but if anything, the video only evoked _more_ emotion from Izuku. The old video clip faded away and were replaced with the words: All Might, Symbol of Peace.

The documentary unfolded like a narrative of sorts, telling the life story of All Might. Rather than making a glorified action movie, however, what unfolded was a story of a smiling hero, and the lives he'd touched. There were clips of past fights, sure, but they were always followed by interviews of the people who had been saved or affected in those fights.

Naturally Izuku cried the entire time as he began to truly understand the full scope of heroism. The documentary didn't cover anything about All Might's hero career that he didn't already know, but it gave him a new perspective.

While he had never really stopped crying, the footage of Kamino Ward nearly _broke_ Izuku. Raw emotions coursed through him as he tried to muffle his sobs. Then, in his last act as All Might, he boldly proclaimed to the world, "You're next."

That made Izuku sob in earnest, thought he startled when Uraraka's hand patted his in comfort. He barely heard what the people on the screen were saying - he was too distracted by the implications of the message that Izuku knew was for him specifically.

He snapped to attention, however, when a thing blond man filled the screen. Off screen, a voice asked, "So, All Might - can I still call you All Might?"

"I'm still the same man, even if I resemble a scarecrow now," he said easily, a grin on his skeletal face.

"Okay then, All Might. You've been the top hero in the world for years, and you've always had a smile on your face. Why?"

"When a person is in distress, they want reassurance. If the person helping them can keep smiling, then the world feels a bit warmer, a bit less bleak. I learned this as I was training to be a hero and I promised myself that I would be able to mean something to the people I saved, like an image of hope."

"Or a symbol of peace," the interviewer added.

"Exactly."

"So, since your time as a hero is over, what now?"

"My first and foremost concern currently is teaching. Now more than ever, young heroes need to be prepared for what comes next. These young students have already seen so much only to come back stronger each time, even more determined than before. THey are truly an inspiration."

"I take it you're talking about Class 1-A?"

"Well, now they're class 2-A, but yes. I do spend the most time teaching them in particular. Prepare yourselves, because this new generation of heroes will be unlike anything the world has seen before."

"Do you have any final advice for the people watching?"

All Might smiled into the camera. "People will try to tell you what your limits are, but the conjectures of others do not define you. I once made this mistake myself. I told a young man that his goal was out of reach, and I have never been more wrong. We can always grow and improve, today's limitations are not permanent. That's why we must consistently go beyond - Plus Ultra!"

Now Izuku was no longer alone in his tears. All four hero students sniffled through the interviewer's closing remarks. When the lights came back on, they took a few minutes to compose themselves before being exposed to the general public. Then they swung by a new restaurant that Izuku had heard made fantastic cold soba.

Lunch was a happy affair. Uraraka made Izuku laugh hard enough that he choked on his soba, which made Iida panic and immediately begin the (unneeded) heimlich.

By the time they left, Izuku was beaming. He practically skipped back to U.A. For a few hours there, Hisashi Midoriya didn't exist. But stepping into the dorms, Izuku's grin turned a little savage. "Todoroki, meet me in the training room."

Looking a little confused, Todoroki merely nodded and Izuku launched himself up the stairs. Slipping into his room, he grabbed the "gift" bag, anticipating what was to come. Downstairs, he found that Todoroki was waiting in the first training room.

"I suspected that this was your aim, so I brought marshmallows," Todoroki said, holding up the bag. "Satou showed me what s'mores are and I thought they sounded perfect for the occasion."

"That's a great idea!" Izuku said with a wide grin. The boys immediately began sorting through the gifts, making a pile of satisfyingly flammable things and a pile of satisfyingly breakable things. Notebooks, t-shirts, posters, and most horrifyingly an autograph were all piled near the bag of marshmallows, ready to be burned.

Another pile held mugs, shot glasses, pencils, pins, and a gaudy keychain that the mere sight of made Izuku die inside a little. The only non-Endeavor piece of merchandise to be found was a single Best Jeanist pin that had apparently been complementary with everything else. Izuku put the denim-covered thing in his pocket, deciding to give it to Kacchan later. Izuku had nothing against the current Number Two hero, which would have made it sacrilege to destroy the pin himself. However, it felt sort of tainted, solely by the nature of being a gift from Hisashi.

With all of the merchandise sorted, Izuku and Todoroki began their accuracy training. Falling into a rhythm with one another was easy when mutually filled with paternal rage.

Whatever the item was, Izuku would throw it into the air where Todoroki would freeze it solid. Using Full-Cowling, Izuku would then leap into the air and kick the item down with all of the force that eight percent of One-For-All allowed, both boys watching with satisfaction as the merchandise shattered spectacularly. It was therapeutic, and Izuku's only complaint was that it was over too soon.

Todoroki looked extremely satisfied as he assembled the remaining merchandise into a mini bonfire, carefully placing the Endeavor plush at the very top. Then, with great deliberation, Todoroki started the fire with a tiny flame dancing on his finger tip.

\When the flames were high enough, the two roasted marshmallows on pencils that were to be destroyed once they were done.

"So do you just have emergency s'mores supplies?" Izuku asked curiously.

"It's not like I have to wait for a special occasion to made them," Todoroki shrugged. The two sat in silence as they watched their marshmallows roast until a little sadly, Todoroki said, "So I guess All Might really isn't your father, then."

"You still believed that?" Izuku asked incredulously.

"Part of me hoped, I guess,' Todoroki said. "Your quirks are similar, and he's the kind of father that you deserve. Besides, your infinite kindness and altruism had to have come from _somewhere._ "

"If it makes you feel better, when I was young I liked to pretend that All Might was my secret dad. I told myself that he needed to lie to keep me safe, so he hired Hisashi to claim he was my dad instead," Izuku confessed.

"So did I," Todoroki said in that emotionless way of his. After a moment of silence he hesitantly asked, "Midoriya, at the Sports Festival it seemed like you understood me and where I was coming from. Has he ever hurt you?"

"It's hard to kill someone who's dead inside," Izuku said with a grin. "Hey, why does everyone roll their eyes when I make jokes like that?"

"Midoriya, you are the most alive and emotional person I know."

The boy's smile dimmed. "I wasn't always. Hisashi was never really physically abusive because he was never home, but there was one time… I was walking home with Kacchan and to this day he swears Hisashi stopped us and took me. I was only officially missing for like eight hours, but when they did find me I was nearly dead. Mom still won't tell me how bad my injuries were, but if there hadn't been a woman with a healing quirk on staff at the hospital, I wouldn't have lived past twelve years old. We still have her over for dinner at least once a year."

Todoroki stared at Midoriya, horrified at the thought of the world without him. But the smaller boy was in the middle of rambling, which was essentially an unstoppable force of nature.

"When I was a kid he would call all the time and every time he insisted on talking to me alone. Mom thought they were just 'father-son talks,' whatever that means. He would tell me things that still haunt me today, and he assured my secrecy by telling me in excruciating detail how he would hurt me, usually ending with killing me. I had nightmares for weeks once when he told me he would-"

Izuku broke off abruptly, his green eyes wide. "No, it couldn't be, could it? It must be a coincidence. His quirk doesn't work that way, and he usually had some work meeting or he was supposedly in a different country. But if he _is_ , then… Should I bring this up to anyone? Who _would_ I bring it up to? It sounds crazy."

"You lost me, Midoriya," Todoroki said.

He turned to Todoroki, eyes wide and hands twitching for want of a notebook. "I think my father is a murderer."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back with another chapter! I hope that burning the Endeavor merch lived up to your expectations. Sorry for the longer wait, I had two exams this week that demanded a lot of time. As always, let me know what you think! Comments inspire me to keep writing, and they help me improve in the meantime.**

 **If you haven't already read any of it, check out Arson Extras. It's an extension of this story from other perspectives, and the one that I'm currently working on is Present Mic helping Izuku out with a little project. I'm also open to any suggestions of characters that people want to hear from.**

 **One more thing, I've been blown away by the response on my newest story, Detective Midoriya! It's an AU where Izuku stays quirkless and becomes Japan's youngest detective. Check it out if you haven't already. See you all next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

The job had been even easier than he'd feared. The rookie really did have no concept of self-preservation, and his quirk was just pitiful. He called himself Crosswalk, the Safety Hero, and he had arms that could extend to roughly the width of a street. Really, he could barely be called a hero. Hisashi would have guessed that the boy was only a threat because his average patrol route took him near the League's base of operations. Crosswalk was a poor introduction to Arson's career in Japan, but at least the League of Villains paid well.

Being back in Japan was bad for his mind though. Everything made him think of his son and the life he'd had before - the man he'd _been_ before.

Fifteen Years Ago

Midoriya Hisashi did not lead an exciting life, but it was a happy one. All he needed to be content was safe at home: Inko, the love of his life, and Izuku, their son. They didn't have much money, but it was enough.

Then, one day Hisashi's tranquil life went up in smoke, much like Izuku's nursery. Their son developed his quirk at one year old, a combination of Hisashi's fire and Inko's telekinesis, and already more powerful than both.

The days that followed were a blur of panic and tired vigilance. Somehow their son became a job, each parent taking shifts watching him. Once upon a time, Hisashi and Inko had fondly discussed what Izuku would be like when he was older, including what his quirk might have been. But now, faced with the reality of his quirk, the couple was falling apart. Neither parent dared to leave him unsupervised, even while he slept.

Desperate, Hisashi and Inko spent the savings they didn't have on specialist after specialist. No one could offer a solution that didn't have the potential of harming Izuku - quirk suppressants were made for adults, and the effects they could have on his development were untold. Once that was emphatically ruled out, the ideas grew more and more ludicrous, and many doctors merely wanted to use the baby as a guinea pig.

It was just a whisper that Hisashi never should have heard in the first place. But it was a whisper that stayed in his mind, the rumours of a man who could take quirks. At this point, it felt like Hisashi's only option. His son would grow up quirkless, yes, but he would be alive with his parents.

And so Hisashi packed Inko and Izuku up into their car and drove them out to see a "promising specialist." His hands shook as he drove with unshed tears threatening to spill at any moment. He couldn't bring himself to look at his wife, couldn't bear the absolute trust that was doubtlessly shining in her eyes.

Izuku started babbling, Inko squealing as Izuku said his first and favorite word: "Dada." Hisashi clutched the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, ignoring the fact that it felt like his heart was in a vice. For the millionth time, Hisashi told himself that he was doing the right thing - the only thing that could be done to save Izuku.

Everything about All For One's warehouse looked threatening. Inko was hesitant to leave the car, asking if he was sure they were at the right address.

Hisashi smiled and placed a hand on hers. "Trust me."

 _Don't trust me._

The couple slowly left the car, Inko clutching Izuku tighter than normal as they walked to the doors of the warehouse. An oppressive aura hung overhead, practically choking Hisashi.

"What do you want?" a raspy, high voice demanded.

Hisashi and Inko flinched, surprised by a child with gray-blue hair. Overall, he could only be described as… crusty. Inko's eyes widened when she noticed that he carried an adult hand in three fingers.

"`Sashi, I don't like this. We need to leave," Inko said, firmly tugging on his sleeve.

"Inko, this kid is probably a patient. You want to help Izuku, don't you?" Hisashi pleaded.

"Tomura, you should be working on your lessons," a deep voice proclaimed. Striding toward them was a man in a suit with calculating eyes. "Excuse my protege, he can be a bit abrasive. Please come in, we'll begin right away. If you'll give the child to your husband and follow my colleague, ma'am, she has some questions for you to answer. With that we can decide how best to treat your son."

Inko clearly didn't want to, but when she turned those trusting eyes on Hisashi, she nodded, moving to follow the woman who appeared out of nowhere.

Swallowing thickly, Hisashi bounced Izuku up and down to hopefully calm the child as he followed the man in the suit. They wound through the building until the man opened the door to a room that was overwhelmingly sterile and hostile.

"I've heard whispers of you, Midoriya Hisashi," the man said. "You know who I am?"

"All For One," Hisashi breathed.

"Good. You're a resourceful one, Midoriya. And quite desperate, I gather. Now tell me why you sought me out."

Sweat was beading on his forehead as Hisashi once more questioned the choices that had brought him here. "My son, Izuku, manifested his quirk early. It's powerful and a danger to him and everyone around him. There's nothing we can do that won't harm him, so I have no other option. Is there any way you can take his quirk for a few years until he can handle it better?"

All For One evaluated Hisashi with cold eyes. "What can you give me?"

"We don't have money, but I would do anything to save my son," Hisashi said adamantly.

"Anything, you say?" the man asked, a sly smile widening across his face. "Let's make a deal then. For now I'll give you your son's quirk and you'll serve me. When I feel you've completed your service. I can transfer the quirk back to your son."

Hisashi's voice trembled when he said, "I'll do it."

A sinister smile spread across the other man's face, this time sending chills down Hisashi's spine. Izuku began to whimper, pulling away from the man.

"Hush, child. It will all be over soon. You should be proud, Midoriya Hisashi. Your son has one of the most powerful quirks I've ever seen. I'm tempted to keep it for myself. But alas, we have an agreement." All For One reached out to touch Izuku, his hand almost caressing the child's cheek.

Izuku flinched away, now crying in earnest. The pitiful sobs twisted Hisashi's heart. He bounced the child, murmuring, "I'm so sorry, it will be okay."

"Now to seal our contract," the man said, offering his hand to Hisashi. The words were ominous, but appropriate. Hisashi was fairly sure he had just made a deal with the devil himself.

Stretching out a trembling hand, Hisashi clasped the other man's cool hand. Immediately he was overwhelmed with sheer _power,_ the vastness of his son's quirk drowning his senses in stimulation. Hisashi felt himself gasping for air to feed the flames in his chest, larger and more powerful than he'd ever accomplished. He also found that he was instinctively aware of the objects in the room in a way he'd never been before. His mind longed to reach out, to _move_ things.

It was just _so much._ Everything was stimulation, Hisashi's mind slowly fracturing in the ceaseless cacophony of new sensations. Looking at his son, Hisashi found that something was missing, though he couldn't say what. But something else settled into the recently vacated portions of his mind, something he would come to know as madness.

All For One sighed. "It's a shame, I had hoped that the quirk would be too much for you to handle. Then you would have joined the rank of my experiments. With that quirk you would have been an excellent Nomu."

"Sorry to disappoint," Hisashi said, both the words and his voice colder than the actual man would have ever done. Why was it different?

"Your wife's memories of your son's quirk have been removed. I'll be in touch shortly with how you can pay me back. In the meantime begin to understand this new quirk. The flames have the potential to be hotter than even Endeavor's, and while the telekinesis isn't particularly strong, its precision is unparalleled. Very few cases of telekinesis can move individual particles of air. With that, your control over fire will be almost complete."

"Whatever you say, All For One."

"You may address me as master," he said. "Now expect my instructions soon."

"As you wish, Master," Hisashi said flatly.

"You'll need another name as you serve me."

Hisashi thought a moment before a sinister smile of his own reappeared. "Arson." Something about it felt right. The cacophony in his head all agreed: he wanted to watch the world burn.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back once again way too late at night, but have another chapter! Expect a few typos in this chapter, both because it's so late and also because my I key has started sticking, so that's been really fun. Honestly, that is kind of the worst button to start sticking when I'm writing a story about the Midoriya family. Things are going to start picking up more quickly in the story, so I'm going to try and write faster than what I've been doing. As always, let me know what you think, this is all an effort to improve my writing, so I love feedback!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Izuku

It was a long moment before either boy moved, eyes locked onto one another. Finally Izuku blinked, his face draining of all color. In a broken voice, he pleaded, "Please don't tell anyone about this, I need to do more research on all of it."

"You can trust me, Midoriya," Todoroki promised, forehead creasing with worry. He noticed that Midoriya was breathing faster, undoubtedly nearing another panic attack. Unsure, Todoroki placed a hand on either of Izuku's shoulders. "Breathe, Midoriya. Breathe with me."

Izuku's eyes were able to focus marginally as he matched his breathing with Todoroki's. Swallowing, he was able to meet his friend's eyes again. "Thanks." Then, the emotional boy threw his arms around his friend.

Todoroki immediately froze, stiffening at the contact before awkwardly patting Midoriya on the back. He still had to get used to how easily his friends initiated physical contact. "No problem, Midoriya. Just promise me you won't do anything reckless."

Taking a shuddering breath, Izuku finally pulled back. "Not doing reckless things is my specialty."

Todoroki was not amused.

The two boys left the training room with a heavy air about them. On the bright side, Izuku felt better equipped to deal with life. It had been cleansing to take out his aggression, even better that it had been Endeavor merchandise. (A part of him was doubly satisfied that so much of Hisashi's money had been wasted.)

The rest of the day was a normal one, and Izuku was able to pretend that everything was fine. He didn't even work on the Arson case, updates on it were so sparse that it would rest until tomorrow.

Except it didn't.

When Izuku woke up the next day, he went about it as he always did. He went for an early run, and spent some time in the gym with Shoji and Sato - it was abs day. Then all three went back to the dorms for breakfast. The news was on as per usual, but today it made Izuku freeze while he was pouring his cereal.

"The nation mourns the death of a hero today, the Safety Hero Crosswalk. Crosswalk's body was found in an abandoned part of the city. It appears he died from the effects of a fire quirk, the likes of which we've never seen before. According to Quirk Analysis expert Meiji Hiro, this is a fire quirk with deadly precision and enough heat to almost instantaneously cremate its victims. However, rather than a relatively quick death, Crosswalk instead died of smoke inhalation and suffocation. This has troubling implications, and some people are beginning to claim that a new Hero Killer has risen. Whether or not the culprit of this murder follows Stain's radical ideals remains -"

"Deku?" a voice interrupted. Izuku startled, flinging cereal everywhere.

"Are you okay, Midoriya?" Iida asked, his forehead creasing in worry. He stood with Uraraka, whose eyes were wide with concern.

"I-I'm fine," Izuku lied, his tongue like cotton in his mouth. "It's just.. The hero. The one that died…"

Thankfully, Uraraka nodded in understanding. "It's so sad!"

"Indeed," Iida nodded. He held an expression on his face that was decipherable only to Izuku and Todoroki. Clearly the news was deeply troubling to him, and he was unconsciously rubbing his scar. "You don't think this could be another hero killer, do you? One like Stain, I mean?"

"I-"

"Midoriya Izuku," the intercom system crackled to life, startling a few students. "Report to the main office."

Izuku felt his heart thudding in his chest, but there was also the barest sense of relief. Maybe it was Nezu or Present Mic or one of the other teachers he could give his findings to and let an adult deal with it.

He smiled thinly at his friends. "Gotta go." He unceremoniously dumped the cereal back into the box before sprinting over to U.A.

Bursting into the main office, Izuku found not a teacher or Nezu waiting for him, but Mirio, who smiled widely at him. "Hey Midoriya!"

"Mirio," Izuku greeted, nodding. "Who called me? Was it Principal Nezu?"

"Why, do you think you're in trouble?"Mirio teased. "No, he's in a staff meeting along with all of the teachers, so I was asked to watch the office. Your father is actually here to get you. He says it's a family emergency."

Izuku felt his heart stutter in his chest, blood draining from his face when he looked beyond Mirio. Sure enough, slightly tucked away from sight stood Hisashi, a smile stretched across his face. Hisashi had always seemed… off to Izuku, but now he saw so much more. Knowing that his father might be a killer, Izuku noticed what had been missed before. The sadistic gleam in the man's black eyes was enough to send chills down Izuku's spine, but there were more practical things. Hisashi wore sturdy black clothes that wouldn't catch fire or show scorch marks easily. His hair was shaved close to his scalp - like Izuku, Hisashi was a rather plain man. He supposedly was where Izuku's messy hair came from, but this took away his only notable physical characteristic. Everything about Hisashi was carefully curated to avoid being noticed.

"Are you ready to get going, kiddo?"

Izuku wanted to scream, to make the entire staff come running in and lock Hisashi away. He wanted to Texas Smash Hisashi through the wall of the building. But the need for concrete evidence was the only thing that made Izuku slowly nod. He was playing with fire, but hopefully he was the only one who would get burned.

 _He could kill me in an instant._

"Can I ask for a favor, Mirio?"

"Sure, Midoriya."

"Make sure Mr. Aizawa and All Might know I left with my father," Izuku said seriously.

"You got it Midoriya. Good luck dealing with that family emergency. I hope everything is okay."

"So do I," Izuku mumbled.

* * *

 **A/N: So I have some news for all my readers. The plot is going to start moving really fast now, and I don't want to leave you all with terrible cliffhangers. This means that the chapters are going to be shorter because I need to switch perspectives more often for story purposes. However, the next update is going to take a little longer than usual because I want to be able to give you updates within a few days of the last one, so I need to spend some time getting ahead on what I have written. News aside, thank you all for reading, I've been so caught off guard by the response to this story! Thanks to everyone who is following the story, and a special thanks to everyone who has commented! As always your comments are especially welcomed so I can improve my writing!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Arson

The blond kid in the office irritated Hisashi to no end, he was too like All Might. The only positive thing about the kid's presence was that Hisashi didn't have to deal with the actual teachers - every teacher Hisashi had met brought out the madness unlike any other heroes.

Izuku looked nervous, probably worried that he was about to be found out. He muttered something to the blond kid before hesitantly joining Hisashi. "You said there was a family emergency, Mr. Midoriya?"

"Come on, I'll explain in the car."

Dutifully following Hisashi out, Izuku looked like a condemned man. The boy woodenly sat and buckled up, tension rolling off of him in waves. Silence stretched between the two until Hisashi said, "I'm sure you have questions."

"There's no family emergency, right?"

"No, I just needed an excuse to get you," Hisashi said.

"Why are you in Japan?"

"Well you see, I really _did_ have to stay and work out of the country. But now that my work has grown more flexible, I wanted to introduce you to my line of work. Maybe one day this can be a family business," Hisashi told his son with a voice like an oil slick.

"I've already chosen my future occupation."

"Sure you have, kid. But nothing says you can't do this on the side. You'll love it. While I was abroad they apparently switched where they were based. Then that building got destroyed in a hero fight fairly recently, so they're back in the place I'm used to. Apparently the new place was a lot nicer, but I like the old place. Something about it just feels right. I'm sure you'll love it," Hisashi chattered, very close to turning into a muttering mess.

Izuku was silent as they drove, leaving Hisashi to search for topics of conversation. After a few failed attempts, he finally said what was on his mind. "Your quirk is pretty amazing, kid." When his son stiffened up but didn't say anything, he continued, "When I saw you in the Sports Festival, it was clear you couldn't control it. I understand, it can be hard to rein in a quirk that wasn't always yours."

 _That_ got a reaction out of the kid. Panic gleamed in his eyes and in a strained voice he asked, "What are you talking about? I don't -"

"There's no need to pretend, kid. I'm impressed you found out about All For One so young. He must have been confident in you to give you such a powerful quirk. Oh! We're almost there. Put this on!" Hisashi threw a black full-face mask at the kid. "Your quirk doesn't need your mouth free, but other than that we match."

Izuku hesitated a moment before slowly pulling it on, every line of his body tense. Satisfied, Hisashi expertly pulled his own mask over his head with one hand, the other never leaving the steering wheel. Then they had arrived, pulling into a parking lot.

Hisashi felt a sense of pride as he looked at his son in the mask, a black hood that obscured the entirety of his face. Izuku had certainly grown up.

"You don't necessarily need it right away, but it's best to get used to the mask before we actually use it for a job. For now we're training. We need to get your quirk under control," Hisashi said, ushering his son out of the car.

They were at a designated camping ground. It was really a beautiful area, as well as rumored to be haunted. This kept out almost everyone and practically guaranteed solitude. It was also perfect for taming unruly quirks.

HIsashi led Izuku to a clearing. It had once been lush and green, but it now bore the scars of Hisashi's anger. Greenery was beginning to grow once more, but underneath the pretense of health, charred tree trunks looked ready to topple over at any moment.

"I think it's time to finally put these trees out of their misery. Let's see that strength augmentation of yours."

Izuku's face was unreadable under the mask, but he was undeniably hesitant. After a few moments when the kid still said nothing, Hisashi felt his eye twitch. "What are you afraid of? Are you telling me you're still breaking bones left and right because you can't control your quirk?"

"If I'm careful it's fine. But it's easy to get carried away," Izuku said flatly, his voice muffled by the mask.

"Well, it's a start. Show me what you've got!"

Hisashi watched gleefully as green energy crackled over the boy's limbs and he punched the air. It didn't cause near the devastation that Hisashi had seen in the Sports Festival, but Izuku was unmarred.

"Excellent," he said, a wide grin stretching across his face. "You'll grow into the power in time. Show me more!"

And they continued like that for the next few hours, Hisashi pushing Izuku to his limit, demonstrating the vast amount of power he had at his disposal. Hisashi couldn't be more proud. Watching his son was truly a thing of beauty. It felt like watching a trickle of water from a dam, fully aware of the river that roared behind it.

Checking his watch, he stopped his son. "We need to head back, we're meeting my clients soon."

Izuku slowly lowered a fist, silently trailing after Hisashi. Apparently his son was the ultimate strong and silent type.

"You don't have to say anything, only answer if you want to. I can talk for both of us. You'll probably recognize some of these people, though, considering your quirk. All For One really must have liked you. It's a little insane how strong this one is." Hisashi paused a moment, ducking under a tree branch. "I guess you won't be needing yours back."

* * *

 **A/N: First of all, thank you all so much for your patience! I'm back, with considerably shorter updates. However, I've written far enough ahead that with shorter chapters like this, I'll probably update at least twice a week. I've loved every comment I've gotten so far, and I hope to keep hearing from all of you! Things are getting serious, and I apologize in advance, there will be cliffhangers. Quick reminder, I also have a fic called "Arson Extras" where you get some perspectives of characters other than Izuku and Hisashi. It's not necessary to read to understand this story, but I've dropped some hints. Thank you all, it feels good to be back.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Izuku

Izuku's blood ran cold at those words. In as emotionless a voice he could muster, he asked, "I won't need my quirk back? But I was born quirkless."

"Not at all," Hisashi said lightly, as if they were discussing the weather. "You developed dangerously early and couldn't control it. My quirk is actually really weak, I could barely light enough candles for a birthday cake. Yours though? Practically unrivaled. Oh, he's here."

The dazed boy turned his head to find none other than Kurogiri standing at Hisashi's car. Izuku panicked for a moment before remembering the mask on his face. At least his father had done one good thing for him. Although, at this point Izuku wasn't convinced that this wasn't the ultimate nightmare. This felt very much like the culmination of his worst fears.

"Arson, you are the only person in our employ," the villain said, his voice more formal than Izuku was used to.

"This is my son, I'm teaching him about the family business," Hisashi said smoothly, slipping an arm around Izuku's shoulders. The paternal action barely registered in his mind, the mind that was drowning with too many massive revelations at the same time. At this point his quirk was taking up most of his mental capacity, the proof that Hisashi was Arson felt secondary.

His father dragged him through a warp gate into a bar. It wasn't the same bar Kachan had been kept in, this one was older and dingier. At the bar sat Shigaraki, displaying the extent of his hand collection. Izuku bit his lip to keep from reacting, and he nearly bit _through_ his lip when Toga and Dabi joined the group.

"We only need one hitman," Dabi drawled. "Who's the short one?"

"This is my son," Hisashi said, pitching his voice lower than usual. "He wants to join the family business."

Izuku swallowed, dully realizing that the "family business" was killing heroes. He blinked, trying to clear his mind - he was in the League of Villains' lair. He needed to be alert and get as much information as possible. It already took everything in his power not to devolve into a fit of muttering.

"If your kid makes one wrong move, it's game over for both of you," Shigaraki promised in his raspy voice.

"I know the drill. I've heard all of the threats before," Hisashi said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I hope you have someone more exciting for me than a traffic nerd. Really, Crosswalk? If that's your biggest threat, maybe you should rename yourselves the League of Children."

Shigaraki growled, lunging forward with fingers outstretched, but Kurogiri opened a portal moments before his fingers made contact with Hisashi, sending Shigaraki's hand halfway across the room.

"You would be wise not to test Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri intoned. "As we told you before, that was merely a trial. Now that you've begun proving yourself, we'll be giving you more challenging tasks."

Izuku swallowed, thinking about what that could entail. Knowing that the League of Villains was Arson's client was even worse, it directly threatened most of the heroes that Izuku knew individually.

Hisashi folded his arm. "How long until I get to take out someone of consequence, like All Might?"

"No!" Izuku blurted before he could stop himself. When all eyes turned to him, he backpedaled quickly. "Your specialty is stealth - you've never been caught. If you took out All Might, it would have to be big and showy. Killing the former Symbol of Peace should be a production, especially now that he is a shell of what he was."

He hated every word as it passed his lips, and he hated himself for even thinking it. But Dabi grunted in agreement. "Smart kid there, Arson."

"Of course he is, he's my son," Hisashi-Arson- said haughtily. "But are you going to tell me who our target is or keep wasting my time?"

"Someone is impatient," Toga said lightly. "It's not very cute at all."

"Hopefully you'll be up to your next task," Kurogiri said, attempting to get the conversation back on track.

"Your target is Kamui Woods," Shigaraki rasped, his hands twitching towards his throat.

Izuku choked, but he covered it with a cough. It wasn't as discreet as he had hoped, because Toga's bright eye fixed on him. "You look like you've got something to say, Baby Arson."

"There are just more strategic heroes to take care of that will catch more attention." _Less flammable heroes._

"Really? Who would you suggest?" Dabi asked curiously.

"Endeavor," Izuku said without a moment's hesitation. "If he were taken out discreetly it would cause mass panic and confusion."

Dabi grinned widely. "I like this kid."

"Who else would you pick?" Toga asked, eyes totally focused on Izuku.

"Well, I think-"

"We don't care," Shigaraki interrupted. "You have your assignment."

Izuku swallowed, both relieved and nervous about such an obvious dismissal, ready to leave

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for your comments on the last chapter, I've loved all of them! I'm going to try to update the next group of chapters within a few days of each other so the cliff hangers aren't so terrible. That said, thanks for reading, tune in next time for some more insanity, courtesy of Hisashi.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Arson

Hisashi was impressed by his son's calculating nature - he honestly didn't think Izuku would have it in him. He was so proud. Each of the heroes Izuku had suggested to take down were strategically perfect, and even better, they would be some fun for Hisashi. The idea of taking down All Might was still tempting to Hisashi, but less so now that he knew the extent of the man's weakness.

He had encountered All Might once as Arson. It was early on in his career, and All Might had been visiting the States. His career as Arson had nearly come to an abrupt halt, but at the same time Hisashi had never felt more alive. All Might had stumbled upon one of Hisashi's first kills, a sloppier job than his current standard, but still virtually untraceable.

The hero had been no fun - at the time, Master was still trying to assess the type of job he was able to handle. The unsatisfying fight made Arson a bit reckless, letting the insanity out enough to take a little longer to watch a little piece of the world burn.

All Might had come to investigate the smoke, but the hero had immediately found what was left of the American hero - Hisashi couldn't even remember the man's name. Seeing how weak the American hero had been, Arson felt unbeatable, immortal. Back in those days he was still adjusting to Izuku's quirk, amazed by how hot the fire was.

Despite that, it only took a single punch for All Might to put out the flames. The blond hero had looked serious, not showing off that stupid smile he wore at all times. He had made some grand speech in English about the villainy of cutting a life short, but Arson heard almost none of it. He was too busy planning his escape.

The Number One hero was unimaginably fast, but he had halted when one of his stupid hair antenna or whatever they were caught on fire. It was only a moment's hesitation, but it was enough for Arson to dart away out of sight, where he could rip off his mask and jacket and quickly stashing them behind a dumpster.

That particular kill had taken place in an empty alleyway, an uncharacteristically risky location. Part of Arson had hoped that the threat of possibly getting caught would make up for how boring the fight itself was going to be.

And it had. All Might found Hisashi not too long after, but he was able to play the part of Midoriya Hisashi, scared Japanese man. He had nearly laughed when All Might had been concerned about him and his well-being, but he also remembered the raw power that the man held. He could literally kill Hisashi with a single finger. It was best not to confront such a man until he had a plan firmly in place.

It was a bit cliche, but Hisashi couldn't help developing an obsession of sorts. He had found it was best to avoid any news of heroes to keep the insanity at bay, but the one hero he couldn't avoid was All Might. The man taunted Hisashi, and each time he obsessively designed new means of taking care of the Number One Hero.

He implemented some of these methods for some of his more fun cases - after all, he had to be prepared for the day he came across All Might once more. That obsession led to Arson becoming practically untouchable. His favorite new attack was trapping his opponent in a swirling column of fire. The fire was hot enough that it took drastic measures to put it out, but usually it had used up all of the oxygen available before the victim could fight back.

But there was no point in seeking out All Might now, just as Izuku had said. Hisashi was a bit disappointed by this, but he heartily approved of his son's analytical abilities. While Hisashi had reasonable analytical skills, his son was a true mastermind. Besides, Endeavor posed an interesting challenge. Hisashi had never really had the opportunity to fight fire with fire, and the thought of turning Endeavor's own flames against him brought out a feral joy in him.

Hisashi was snapped out of this train of thought when Kurogiri opened a warp gate back to where his car had been. Once it closed, he clapped Izuku on the back. "You did well back there, kiddo. Now let's figure out a way to get rid of this Kamui Woods, then we can find some really _fun_ cases."

Izuku was wooden under his hand. "I would love to, but I have patrol soon. I have to keep up my hero student act."

"I'm sure you can miss one patrol, I already pulled the family emergency card! They're not allowed to get mad at you when you say you have a family emergency," Hisashi said.

"Goodbye, Mr. Midoriya."

With that, the boy bounded away, sailing above the trees with a single leap. The Izuku was gone, quickly out of Hisashi's field of vision.

He stared at where his son had been standing, rage building with every second. How _dare_ Izuku just leave his father like that, leave him to go back to the heroes? He probably thought himself above Hisashi and his stealthy methods. He was laughing at Hisashi as he showed off that flashy quirk with no subtlety, no art behind it all.

A fire built in his chest, hotter and more fierce than ever before. If Izuku wanted to see a flashy quirk, he would see a flashy quirk. Arson readjusted his mask, his smile already in place, wider and more crazed than ever. He merely had to find Kamui Woods. Then he could _really_ show Japan who Arson was, and what he was capable of.

He could show _Izuku_ just what Arson was capable of.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't really what to say in the notes of the next few chapters except prepare yourselves. Thanks for all the comments, they inspire me to be a better (and more frequent) author!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Deku

Izuku bounded back to U.A. as fast as One For All would carry him. Partway there he realized he was still wearing the mask and ripped the stupid thing off of his face, throwing it deep into the forest.

Tears already streamed down Izuku's face, sobs racking his body. Despite everything, he hadn't been ready for irrefutable proof that his father was a murderer, working with the very people that had almost killed Izuku a number of times.

But somehow that wasn't the worst part. For years he'd built his identity on three words: Quirkless, useless Deku.

None of it had never been true.

It hurt, really it did, knowing just how powerful his quirk was. The flames were unparalleled in heat and intensity, but there was clearly some manner of telekinesis mixed in. Izuku couldn't help but think of all of the ways his quirk could have been helpful in hero work.

He barely registered where he was going until he was back at U.A. gates, shaking slightly. He walked through with the sole intent of finding All Might or Aizawa when Ectoplasm found him.

"Midoriya, why aren't you in your costume yet?" Ectoplasm asked, practically materializing out of thin air. "You have patrol duties with Kamui Woods this afternoon, you can't be late."

"But sir, I need-"

But it was just a clone, and once the message was relayed it melted into the ground. So, wiping his tears, Izuku ran to his room to put on his hero costume. He would corner All Might and Aizawa as soon as all of this was over.

He had forgotten that today was his day to go on patrol - he had merely used it as a believable excuse. U.A. was doing a program for the hero students where each day a handful of them would go out on patrol with various pros, one of which was Kamui Woods.

Oh. Oh no.

Izuku doubted that his dad - Arson- would be bold enough to strike that very day, but maybe throughout the patrol, he could find some way to warn Kamui. He had the entire time to figure out how to bring up the topic, and once he was off patrol he would immediately tell All Might and Aizawa.

In his mind it sounded almost simple when he thought about it that way. But nothing was ever simple for Midoriya Izuku.

He put on his costume in record time. As he rushed to the side gates where the pro heroes would be waiting, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Panicked, Izuku whipped around with One For All pounding in his veins, ready to attack someone.

It was Todoroki.

The other boy's eyes widened. "Is everything okay, Midoriya? Where have you been all day?"

Izuku swallowed. "I've been with my father all day. Things are worse than I thought. But I've got to go, I'm late for patrol with Kamui Woods."

Todoroki watched his friend rush away before he decided it was time to act - he had to find someone to tell. Thus, as Izuku rushed to Kamui Woods, Todoroki burst into the teachers' lounge unannounced.

"Mr. Aizawa, I'm worried about Midoriya," he blurted, not taking the time to notice who else was in the room.

Mirio, who had been reporting to the teachers, smiled. "Oh, because he wasn't in class today? Don't worry, he was with his dad. Mr. Midoriya picked him up this morning. Midoriya actually asked me to tell you that in particular, but I haven't had a chance until now."

Aizawa lunged to his feet, sleeping bag and all. " _He what?_ "

"That's why I'm worried," Todoroki interjected. "The other day Midoriya confided in me that he thought his father might be a murderer, but he said the word like it was worse than being a villain."

Present Mic blanched. "Midoriya's father worked abroad, right? Does he have a fire quirk?"

"Yes, why?" Aizawa demanded.

"The Little Listener wanted me to look over some things for him, evidence about a criminal no one has ever caught, or even seen to our knowledge. He has a deadly fire quirk, and he's an international killer that Midoriya only knew about because he followed the news in whichever country his father was supposed to be in."

"Where is Midoriya now?" Aizawa demanded.

"He's leaving on patrol. I don't know with who, though."

"We'll take this to Nezu," Aizawa decided. "He'll know what to do."

Meanwhile, Izuku's hands were shaking as he trailed Kamui Woods in a daze. He had actually been looking forward to this opportunity for weeks - whichever pro he got paired with, he was excited for the opportunity to learn about their quirk. But his mind was already overloaded with emotions and information, he just wasn't processing the way he normally did.

Izuku didn't react to much of anything until he saw a familiar mask in a crowd of people heading down into a subway platform. His blood ran cold, but Iuku found he was strangely calm.

Swallowing, he stopped Kamui Woods. "I saw someone suspicious going down to the subway."

"Good job being vigilant, kid," the hero said. "It's probably nothing, but it's always better to check."

"Yeah," Izuku said faintly. "It's probably nothing."

* * *

 **A/N: I think you can all tell that things are picking up really quickly. The question is, do you want me to update a chapter a day, or a few chapters every few days? As always, thank you for the comments!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Arson

He never bothered to take his mask off, opting instead to throw caution to the wind. The drive back into town barely registered in his mind, it was too full with rage. How dare Izuku leave like that? Did he think he was better than Hisashi because he could show his quirk off to the public? Well Hisashi had an equally, if not more flashy quirk, he just knew how to use it discreetly.

Apparently that wasn't impressive enough for Izuku. Very well. Master wasn't around to command Hisashi anymore, so he didn't have to stay a secret. He could prove to Izuku just how impressive Arson was.

A manic grin spread across Hisashi's face. He would prove it to Izuku this very day. Pulling out his work phone, he punched in a number he had memorized.

"Yo, Arson! What can I do for you?"

"I need to know a good place to intercept Kamui Woods today."

"You're in Japan, man? Sweet! He might be a bit tricky to isolate, you'll probably need some kind of bait. Let me see…"

"No, I want it to be public. Very public," Hisashi growled. "I want all of Musutafu to hear about it."

The man on the phone whistled. "I don't know who pissed you off, but I feel sorry for them. But are you sure? This will kind of announce your existence to the world. People might start connecting you to your past jobs."

Arson scoffed. "You must be joking. No one has even linked my past jobs to any one source, not even the ones I signed. Law enforcement is populated by idiots."

"You sound awfully confident, Arson," the voice said. "I just hope this doesn't all blow up in your face."

"If I didn't know what a cold-hearted jerk you were, I'd say you almost sounded worried for me."

"I'm worried for myself. If you get caught then I'm one step closer to being caught myself."

"Well I'm not going to get caught," Arson barked. "Now tell me where to find Kamui Woods."

There was the sound of furious typing before the voice said, "He's scheduled to go on patrol pretty soon, and you're in luck. He's assigned to pretty heavily populated parts of the city. Based on your GPS, the best place to intercept him would be at the subway platform nearest to you. It looks like he doesn't actually go onto the platform, but he would if you caused a little panic, wreak a little havoc."

Impossibly, Arson's smile grew wider. "My specialty."

* * *

 **A/N: Will Kamui Woods survive? Will Aizawa strangle Mirio for forgetting to tell him about Hisashi? Tune in next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Deku

Izuku was on high alert as he quietly motioned for people to move away from the entrance. He made sure to start down the stairs before Kamui Woods so he was in the line of fire first.

For a few moments, all Izuku could hear was his own heartbeat hammering at a frantic pace. He started to wonder if he had imagined it all when he heard the first scream. In a move that was entirely too practiced, Izuku sent his location to all of his contacts - at this point he didn't even have to be looking at his phone.

The scream had come from a woman that Izuku couldn't see clearly until he had ushered a majority of the crowd away. The woman in question looked like she was about to faint, surrounded by a ring of blue fire.

"Kamui Woods," said the voice of Izuku's nightmares. "How kind of you to come and greet me. You even brought a friend."

"He's got a fire quirk, so you evacuate people and call for backup," Izuku said, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. "There should be someone within a few minutes of here."

"Are you sure you can hold him off, Deku?"

Izuku nodded, despite every fiber in his being screaming that he should _not_ do this. But Kamui Woods was Arson's target and even extra flammable. Taking a deep breath, Izuku put himself in front of every civilian except the woman held hostage. He made sure to pitch his voice a few octaves lower than normal. "Follow Kamui Woods."

Arson growled, the fire around the woman sputtering, about to go out. "Did you forget I have a hostage?!"

Izuku was grateful for his mask because it shielded his fear from his father's eyes. Swallowing, he called, "You don't seem the type to use hostages. No one is going to be impressed to learn that you harmed a civilian, why not contend with a hero instead?"

Aizawa would have been mortified by his hostage management, but they were slated to go over that next week. Izuku was just banking on his father being just egotistical enough to take the bait.

And sure enough he did. The villain sneered before his lips turned upwards, the fire around the woman dying completely. "You know how to read people, I'll give you that. Tell me little hero, what's your name?"

 _He doesn't recognize me,_ Izuku realized with a start. For some reason this helped, making him feel bolder as he stepped even closer to Arson. "I'm Deku."

"As in Blockhead? Strange choice kid, but whatever floats your boat. I've never heard of you, but don't be offended. There are very few heros that I know anything about," Arson said lightly. "You must be a sidekick."

Izuku shrugged, trying to keep his father's attention solely on him. Kamui was still ushering people away from the subway entrance, unsure of how far Arson's fire could extend."You could say that."

"You sound young," he said, blue flames dancing out of his mouth with every word, floating to surround the two, suspended in the air. "I'll give you this chance because of that. Give up now, choose a different career, and you can leave right now."

Izuku hesitated, trying to pretend he was considering it - he had to buy all the time he could. The flames were taunting him, and the whole area was already unbearably hot. He glanced around as discreetly as possible, trying to calculate the safest place to fight. Kamui had cleared out the rest of the citizens, but across the subway tracks was another platform, one for the train running the opposite direction. There were still a handful of people on that platform, but due to the high volume of villain attacks in that part of town, there were glass walls that separated the platforms from the tracks. As long as Izuku was careful, the people on the other platform should be safe.

"Well?" Arson asked. "Right now you're inconsequential. You could live to see another day, hug your mother one more time…"

The sudden thought of his mother caused Izuku physical pain, but his answer was clear. "We both know that's not going to happen."

Arson chuckled, and then it grew into a full laugh, a booming cacophony of madness. "Famous last words, kid."

Izuku was able to activate One For All and leap out of the way before a massive barrage of blue flame cremated him on the spot. But the platform only afforded him so much room to maneuver, he wouldn't be able to evade for very long. To add a new dimension of terror, the flames followed Izuku, chasing him every which way. Even more flames poured out of Arson's maw as he waved his arms like a possessed conductor, directing his orchestra of deadly flames.

His father's sole attention was on Izuku, but that didn't mean the civilians were safe. By Izuku's calculations, the glass walls wouldn't hold up to Arson's flames - there was just no way. Across the tracks on the other platform Izuku estimated about fifteen people, all confident in his ability to protect them. One of them was pressed up close to the glass, her phone recording the whole fight.

He couldn't use his own quirk for fear of breaking the wall, or damaging the subway system - that could cause even more injuries than Izuku was willing to think of. So Izuku rolled and dodged flames as best he could, the request for backup a desperate plea even as he hissed in pain from flames he couldn't wholly avoid.

Arson's accuracy was getting better as well. The burns were beginning to affect Izuku, but more than anything the overall heat might be his downfall. He was sweating, but he was also beginning to feel dizzy. Along with heat exhaustion, Izuku's mind idly wondered how much oxygen could be left with how much the flames were consuming.

Apparently Izuku's avoidance annoyed Arson because the man roared, snapping his son's attention back to him. Blue flames poured out of his mouth, swirling around Izuku with much less precision. A whirlwind of fire was closing in, pulling Izuku closer to his father, exactly where Izuku didn't want to be.

The young hero stumbled, feeling the sweat rolling down his face. He blinked as he nearly fell down again - was it getting harder to breathe? Oh yeah, the oxygen thing. It was definitely getting harder to breathe.

There was a loud sound as Izuku's world shook beneath him. Oh, the cement beneath him had cracked, a testament to the absurd heat of Arson's flames. It also meant that Izuku was very close to being roasted alive.

Izuku rolled his shoulders back. He would have to stop Arson one way or another. After all, that's what heroes do.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was at a last minute wedding so I got to do a lot of driving and no time for typing. I'll probably update the chapters that I have so far. However, seeing my niece try to eat the bouquet was freaking adorable, so I have no regrets. Thanks for the comments as always, I really do try to incorporate your constructive criticisms. I wrote this story specifically because I think it works with a lot of my weakest points as a writer. I appreciate everyone who is helping me improve!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Arson

Arson noted with annoyance that the blockhead hero was standing straighter with more resolve, despite the fact that he could barely stand at this point. In his irritation, he pulled the heat straight from the air, sending it directly to the kid's idiotic metal mouth-guard.

The boy yelped, ripping the thing off with a gloved hand and flinging it across the platform. Arson felt the slightest bit of glee watching just how much the boy was struggling. The circumstances were getting unbearable for those without fire quirks. This child had no chance, and even more delicious, it was his heroic instinct that kept him from truly fighting Arson.

"This is what heroism affords?" Arson asked before cackling. He stepped forward, grasping the hero child by the collar of his costume. "Pathetic."

Outside the shouts of the police officers could be heard, but everyone was waiting for a hero that could effectively counteract Arson's quirk.

"Pathetic!" Arson repeated, louder this time. He shoved the hero backwards, who tripped on the cracked cement before collapsing to his knees. "Heroes claim to protect people, but when a threat arises, they send in a child and try to blame someone else."

Flames spilled out of his mouth with each word, flying through the air as they burned indiscriminately. Sadly his flames had such a short life, but it didn't matter much when he could always make more. Arson paused, fixating on Deku as the pro hero breathed shallowly, arms shaking from the exertion of holding his torso up.

"At least you tried something, even though it was a suicide mission," he considered, "a sacrificial lamb led to the slaughter. Let's see your face, little lamb. I want to see your expression when you realize that any help that's coming will be too late."

The boy had only stumbled a few steps away, but each of Arson's echoed across the cement of the platform. It was funny, what had been filled with chaotic energy was now a silent tension, every person in the vicinity tightrope walking across a taut thread.

Firmly grasping the child's hood, Arson pulled, exposing a head of wild green hair and impossible large eyes blinking up at him.

Arson sighed. "That's such a shame, I thought you had promise."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the absurdly short chapter, the plot dictates that the perspective needs to change now. Also, a note I forgot to leave on the last chapter: I know like nothing about subways. I live in a pretty rural area, so I've never been on one, so everything I have in here is based on a friend's experience and what I could find on the internet. Also there's some science in here, again the help of the internet and a friend who's a science major. I'm just a lowly English major trying to be as accurate as possible when writing a fanfiction about a world where anime physics are a thing, so...**


	20. Inko

**A/N: I just wanted to let you know this isn't the last chapter, I actually have quite a bit to go. Also, I'm sorry.**

Chapter 20: Inko

Midoriya Inko was what most people would call a soft-hearted woman. She had never been able to stomach violence of any kind, and she especially didn't like hero fights. There was too much uncertainty and pain. She certainly admired and appreciated heroism, she just couldn't handle watching it in progress.

That said, whatever higher power there was laughed when they sent Izuku to be her son. And they were laughing now as she watched her son fight for his life.

Inko remembered reading an article about plane crashes. Most of the time it wasn't any one big disaster that caused them, it was a series of small mishaps and mistakes. At any turn, if any one of the problems had been resolved, then the plane crash would have been avoided. That's how she felt at the moment. She shouldn't have been there, not on this subway platform at this time. It was supposed to be her day off, but she had been called into work when one of her coworkers begged the day off to take her daughter to the doctor.

She wouldn't have been off at this time, but after a particularly horrible client scolded Inko to tears, in a gesture of kindness her boss had let her go home early that day. With her extra time, Inko decided to go to the market to catch some good sales that were going on, so she was taking a different train than usual. She got to the platform long before her train would arrive, but she was content to wait. She had an email from her lawyer to read anyway.

When she heard the chaos on the platform across the tracks, Inko prepared to leave - the glass walls between the tracks and the platforms didn't look all that sturdy, and it was best to be safe rather than sorry. She was debating whether or not she should pull away the girl who was pressed close to the glass filming the whole thing when she glanced over and her heart stilled in her chest. She would have recognized the hero's costume anywhere.

Izuku.

Inko was rooted to the spot, trying to convince herself that it would all be okay - Izuku was strong. But no matter what she told herself, she couldn't help the icy dread that filled her veins. Somehow she was standing at the glass wall now, hands pressed on it as she pleaded for her son to be okay.

The villain was breathing fire, and the overall temperature was steadily increasing. Inko shook as Izuku distracted the villain so the civilians could escape. He couldn't fight back, she realized. He wouldn't chance using his quirk when the sheer destructive power could put someone else in danger.

 _He couldn't fight back._

The villain was _furious_ , then, sloppily wrapping fire around Izuku while the boy looked like he was going to pass out at any moment. Inko thought she was going to bite through her lip when he stumbled, falling to his knees. The villain pulled off Izuku's mask and said something, and Inko just stared. Her baby was so small, so young.

Backup was coming, surely. It had to be. Heroes helped other heroes, that's what Izuku always told her. But no one appeared at the entrance to the subway platform.

Inko couldn't help but cry out when the villain backhanded her son, sending him sprawling off balance. At the familiar sound, Izuku's hazy green eyes met hers, looking at his mother desperately. Inko didn't even register the tears rolling down her face as she met her son's eyes. He was saying something, but then the blue flames converged, blocking Izuku from sight.

Her world came to a screeching halt as Inko stared at the column of flames, and almost everything else stopped with it. She felt nothing, and part of her refused to believe that any of this could be true. It all had to be a horrible nightmare.

She was barely aware of herself - she was sobbing, heart-wrenching sobs that shook her entire body, and she could barely see the swirling flames because her body was producing tears faster than should be humanly possible. She was numb, but she stared as the flames died down.

There was nothing.

Inko stared at that black mark on the concrete even as heroes poured into the subway platform - too late, too late, her mind mocked. Things were happening around her, but she couldn't move any more than that mark on the concrete could. Inko's mind finally processed just what her son had been saying.

 _I'm sorry Mom._


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Arson

Arson let the flames die down, finally registering how much he'd overused his quirk. The flames went out, leaving a smoking pile of ash where his son once stood.

He knew he should have felt _something_ about the whole situation - rather, _Hisashi_ should have felt something. But for the first time in his entire life, Arson felt free. A wide smile slithered over his face as the restraints and boundaries Hisashi had fell away. He knew Hisashi had considered how he felt when he was relinquishing control was insanity, but it had always just been Arson. He had never considered that Arson was a person all on his own, and now he didn't have Hisashi to stop him.

Arson would watch the world burn.

The clamour of police officers and heroes pouring into the subway entrance was more pressing, however. He prepared himself to continue overusing his quirk once more, but once more he felt the flames die in his throat. His eyes darted to the platform entrance to meet familiar red eyes. Izuku's teacher looked furious, flanked by a whole host of heroes and police officers.

His smile slipped. This Aizawa was seriously pissing him off. One day he would catch the man off-guard and burn him to a crisp.

But the smile hadn't disappeared, and it was back in full force when he cackled maniacally, relishing in the thought of the reactions to come. "You should keep a better eye on your students, Aizawa. I'm sure you would hate to lose one."

The man paled ever so slightly, and Arson felt the hold of Aizawa's quirk slip. He had to escape, and the only really viable option was the subway tunnel itself - the question was how to do so without being electrocuted or crushed by the coming train. The glass barriers were of no consequence anymore, the heat had been enough to melt a hole more than large enough for Arson to escape through.

Before he could puzzle over it more, Arson felt a sharp _tug_ snap his head to the side. He was so thrown off by this that he didn't register that his mask was off his head before it was sailing out of arm's reach.

Arson spun around to meet green eyes across the subway tracks. Inko. Her tear-filled eyes widened, rage emanating from her.

For some reason that image muted the world for him in that moment. Of all the people in Hisashi's life, Arson feared Inko the most. The image of her stirred the slightest bit of _something_ , but it only lasted the briefest moment. Arson was sure to stamp out the last shreds of Hisashi that lingered.

"I guess I'm found out, then," Arson announced. "I only wish Izuku had lasted long enough to see the stupid looks on your faces."

"What do you mean, 'lasted long enough'?" one of the police officers called.

"I think you know exactly what I mean. He was a bit disappointing, considering how powerful his quirk is, far too concerned about making sure no one got hurt for my tastes."

"Well you're trapped," one of the other officers said boldly. "You're going to a nice, fireproof cell."

Arson raised an eyebrow. "You're a confident one. It would be endearing if you weren't so horribly wrong."

Several people leapt forward at once, but Arson watched, waiting for that split second before Aizawa blinked, inhaling deeply before exhaling even more swirling blue flames. Officers and heroes alike leapt back, distracted long enough for Arson to fling himself from the platform onto the tracks, running faster than ever before. It wasn't long before he noticed the tell-tale rumble of an approaching subway.

Arson was free.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Inko

By all logic, there should have been a limit to how much Inko could cry. But everywhere she looked, she saw reminders of her son. She was largely useless - it was a good thing Mitsuki was there, or Izuku's memorial service might have gotten planned.

She couldn't even give Izuku a proper funeral. U.A. was paying for everything, but she and the teachers had decided a simple memorial service would be best. There was no body, and what little ash they'd been able to collect wasn't definitely Izuku. Inko didn't have the heart to let it be analyzed - she couldn't bear the thought of having no piece of her son. She needed _something_ to hold on to.

That said, Inko's hands held the urn tightly as she sat in the car taking her and the Bakugous to U.A. She wasn't crying at that particular moment, but the tears were always threatening.

Mitsuki patted Inko's arm. "The weather is perfect today."

It was true. It was an unusually warm fall day. The sun shone brightly and the world was idyllic. Inko smiled softly. "Izuku always loved days like today."

When the car pulled up to the U.A. gates, Inko and Mitsuki were both helped out of the car by the whole host of heroes that stood by the front gates. Various reporters and journalists were circling like vultures, but the heroes didn't allow them near. Besides, after the past few days, Inko was fairly sure that they all knew to keep a respectable distance from Mitsuki.

A few tears escaped Inko's eyes when the man she'd come to know as Yagi Toshinori stepped forward, offering an arm. She took the offered bony appendage, her other arm clutching the ashes like a lifeline.

The whole procession of heroes was silent as they moved across the campus. At some point, they were joined by somber students, Izuku's friends. Inko recognized almost every person in the procession from his analysis notebooks, and the stories he would tell. The sheer number of people attending was frankly kind of amazing. Her son didn't have the solitary life she had always feared he might have.

Finally they came to where the memorial would be held. Yagi escorted Inko to the front of the room, where she placed the ashes in front of a picture of Izuku before sitting down.

She loved that picture of Izuku. It was taken after he'd been going to U.A. for long enough to lose the nervous, skittish look in his eyes. He smiled with confidence and genuine happiness.

People filed in and Mitsuki held Inko's hand. Inko had already given up the fight and let herself cry freely, as did Masaru. Mitsuki was determined not to cry, but when Katsuki sat with them instead of with his friends, she fell victim to the tears as well.

Inko was crying to hard that she barely heard the proceedings. The principal said a few words, followed by All Might and Izuku's friend Iida. Every word that did register only made Inko cry harder until she could barely see. Thankfully, U.A. had been selective about which members of the press could attend the service itself, so she wasn't distracted by cameras in her face.

The service was short, and at the end Nezu stood up once again. "Midoriya Izuku holds a special place in the hearts of all here at U.A. He was an exemplary student who embodied what a hero should be: kind, generous, and resourceful. He will be sorely missed, but in remembrance, his picture will join the others in the U.A. hall of fame. Additionally, in his memory, we are adding a new wing to the library that will be dedicated to quirk analysis. Thank you all for coming this day, may Midoriya Izuku live on forever in our memories."

As Nezu left the stage, Yagi leaned over to Inko. "We're holding a press conference to talk about the whole incident. Nezu requested I tell you that you're welcome to come make a statement or listen if you wish, but you shouldn't feel obligated to do so."

Inko bit her lip before slowly nodding. "I have something to say to the public."

He offered a frail smile before offering his arm once more. Inko had seen the man sporadically after the Kamino Ward Incident, but he'd never seemed so utterly defeated before. It would have broken Izuku's heart.

Mitsuki grabbed Masaru and followed unasked, and no one dared stop her. Inko vaguely recognized the room as the same one they'd held the press conference in when Katsuki had been taken.

When the hoardes of reporters saw Inko, they went _wild_ , shouting questions rapid-fire.

"Do you think U.A. should be shut down for neglect?"

"What reparations is the school offering you for the death of your son?"

"What has been U.A.'s greatest failure?"

Inko steeled herself before stepping up to the microphone, in spite of the tears coursing down her cheeks. "I would like to make it very clear that it was not U.A. that murdered my son, it was a villain. And to insinuate that U.A. owes me something is an offense to Izuku's memory. My son's only dream in life was to go to U.A. so he could become a hero and save people. It was practically what he lived for.

"No, Izuku was not a full-fledged hero yet, but that shouldn't matter. He was doing exactly what he had been taught to, and in any other situation that would have saved his life. But my son died saving many lives, including mine. The first time Izuku saved a life, my boy _glowed._ A little boy lives because of that sacrifice, and I live because of that sacrifice. That is the nature of heroism. U.A. is what took the earnest desires of a teenager and turned him into the greatest hero I will ever know."

Somehow Inko had managed to speak clearly through her tears until the end. She stepped away, quickly received by Aizawa and Present Mic. The two escorted hero out of the room, leaving Nezu, All Might, and a handful of other teachers to field questions.

Mitsuki body-slammed Present Mic out of the way so she could stand next to Inko. "Are you okay? Do you want to go home now?"

She shook her head. "I want to go to Izuku's room for a moment, and then I want to talk to his friends. They're hurting just as badly as I am."

Aizawa nodded, silently leading the way. Inko recognized that he was leading her to the dorms, although they were unusually quiet. Every student was in the main area, and the only sounds were the occasional muffled sob.

Inko recognized the way to Izuku's room. She lost track of how many stairs she climbed up to Izuku's room, but once inside, she felt like breaking down all over again. It looked like he would be back any second - there was still a pair of pajama pants crumpled on the floor, as if he'd just stepped out of them.

She breathed in deeply before she spotted what she had been looking for, Izuku's notebooks in a messy pile on his desk. Inko painstakingly collected each of them in her arms, carrying them lovingly. Aizawa and Mic were silent as she left with them, although Mitsuki asked, "What did you grab? Wait, are those… Oh, that's what you're doing. That's actually a fantastic idea, Inko."

The green-haired woman smiled thinly. "He's also got a page on you and Masaru in here, I'd love to show them to you later."

The group made their way downstairs, pausing only long enough for Aizawa to lock the room once more. The students were all sitting at attention when they came into the main room. An undercurrent of tension ran through everyone, but Katsuki was the first one to react. His miserable red eyes met hers and he stalked forward. In a choked voice, he said, "I couldn't keep him safe, Auntie. I should have… I knew that Hisashi was bad news, I just -"

Inko shushed the boy, pulling him into a hug. He towered over her, so she just managed to get tears all over his white shirt. "It's not your fault," she said, pulling away. "The only person at fault is Izuku's murderer. I wanted to come here to make sure you know that, as well as thank each of you."

"Thank us?" Ashido asked.

"You may not know this, but Izuku was a late bloomer, actually one of the latest cases in history," Inko explained. "He was misdiagnosed as quirkless for years, and he was bullied because of it. But he never stopped standing up for others or wanting to be a hero. Everyone told him that it was impossible, but then he made it into U.A. For the first time he had friends, and even more he began to see all of you as family. I wanted…" Inko paused, she was beginning to choke up again. "I wanted each of you to see yourselves how Izuku saw you. I know he admired every one of you. That includes teachers."

Present Mic looked like he was about to cry - he might have been behind his tinted glasses. When Inko set the notebooks down, Uraraka launched herself at the woman, sobbing in her arms. The two cried together, Inko gently rubbing the girl's back.

Inko took the time to officially be introduced to each of the students, taking care to attach a name to a face. Finally she pulled herself away, thanking the class once more. She was still overwhelmingly sad, but she felt lighter, somehow.

Aizawa and Present Mic accompanied the group back out to the car, keeping reporters at bay. Before they got in the car, though, Aizawa stopped Inko. He seemed as serious as ever, but Inko sensed deeper emotions under the surface. "Is there anything we can do?"

That was a fairly standard question to ask someone who was grieving, Inko was finding. But this felt different. Aizawa was not only sincere, he was almost desperate to do something to relieve Inko's pain.

For the first time in days, Inko's eyes felt totally dry when she met his. "Do everything you can to catch my husband. I don't want revenge, but Izuku would be heartbroken if Hisashi got away and killed again. Please, try to stop Hisashi, but keep yourselves safe as well."

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, I have nothing resembling an update schedule. Sorry? In the next few days I'm going to upload the extras version of this chapter, and you'll get to read the speeches at Izuku's memorial service. Thanks for sticking with me, this is a crazy part of the semester, so I'm just going to do what I can. As always, let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Arson

Arson was _fuming_ as he paced back and forth across the room for what felt like the millionth time that day. Here he sat in his wretched safe house while the world spun on as if he didn't exist. He saw the news, and it was all about his pathetic son. A few news sites speculated about the man who had killed him, but that was even worse! Clearly the heroes and the police hadn't made his name public, because a few people even theorized that he was that scarred idiot from the League of Villains.

The injustice! Arson had been waiting for this day for _years,_ and now it had been ruined. He had finally shed himself of Hisashi, the fool. Arson sneered at the mere thought of the weak-spined man. The fool had dubbed Arson his "insanity," which only served to prove the man's incompetence. Any simpleton would have understood the duality of their natures, felt the difference between the two people. It was a manner of insanity, Arson supposed, but could it be true insanity if Arson understood the full measure of it?

Inko just _had_ to unmask him. Arson had been looking for an excuse to drop his anonymity for years, and here stood the perfect opportunity. But he had merely wanted to introduce the world to Arson, not Midoriya Hisashi. The police knew what he looked like, and he couldn't very well waltz around outside now. He couldn't even get revenge on Inko as he wanted to. For now Hisashi was as good as dead, but going after Inko was the only thing that could potentially bring him back.

Arson cursed, punching a wall. Here he was, stuck in his safe house where he couldn't even burn anything down. But he refused to live in fear, he was Arson! He refused to be cowed by someone so tiny and weak as Midoriya Inko.

Furiously jabbing at his phone, Arson looked for a distraction, any distraction. He settled on planning his next big purchase. It gave Arson a twisted sense of glee spending mass amounts of money on useless things. In the early days, Hisashi had always been so frugal, sending some of their blood money to Inko and then setting aside even more for her in the event that they died. Those accounts were untouchable, Hisashi had made sure of it back when he had some semblance of control.

But now Arson had funds to play around with. He should probably see just how much, he would hate for -

It wasn't there.

The money from the League of Villains _wasn't there._

His characteristic sinister smile spread across Arson's face. He couldn't have someone thinking that they didn't have to pay him, after all. Some things were bigger than the fear of getting caught, after all. Keeping his business running was of the utmost importance.

It was time for a house call.

* * *

 **A/N: Shorter chapter again this time, sorry about that! Finals are breathing down my neck, so writing time is limited. But I hope to have the next chapter out soon!**


	24. Chapter 24

Waking up always seemed like a rude experience, but this seemed worse than usual to Izuku. His mouth was dry and everything hurt - he couldn't even choose something that hurt worse than everything else, there was such a variety of injuries that he just accepted that his existence was now pain.

His eyes fluttered open, and Izuku began to fret that he was blind as well as injured before he realized that it was just dark, almost completely dark wherever he was.

He hesitantly sat up, the clanking of a heavy chain accompanying the action. That didn't bode well for him, and neither did the blood crusted over his skin. He barely registered a few trickles of fresh blood coming from his body.

Where was he? His mind was slow and heavy, probably the results of being drugged. The details of his fight with Arson were slowly filtering back to him, and he should be dead. Was he in Hell? It didn't seem impossible, but -

Footsteps broke Izuku out of his revery. A door creaked open and a light was flipped on - Izuku couldn't help but recoil from the blinding fluorescents.

"Kid, you're awake! Sweet! _I should call someone to sedate you immediately_."

Izuku swallowed, his hands suddenly shaky as his eyes came to rest on Twice. He was as familiar with him as he was the rest of the League of Villains, and Izuku knew all too well how volatile the man was.

But he needed information. He forced his mind to cooperate and asked, "Where am I? Why am I here?"

" _We would never divulge such secrets, you fool!_ " he said in a deep voice, then in a higher one, "Shigaraki likes you, so he had Kurogiri pul you from the fire before you could die. He and Toga have been fighting over you a lot. _The whole world thinks you're dead, so they'll never find you._ "

Toga would explain the cuts decorating his body, and the more Izuku moved, he was fairly sure he felt a few areas that were probably at least partially disintegrated. The news that the world thought he was dead hurt more than Izuku thought it would. Oh, his mom. His mom thought he was dead. That was emotional turmoil to be dealt with at a later date.

"How long have I been here?"

"It's been about a week - _but you'll be here the rest of your life_ ," Twice said. " _Now it's time to get Kurogiri to sedate you again."_

"No, wait, I just wanted to ask -"

An alarm shrieked through the building, cutting Izuku off while Twice panicked for a moment. " _An intruder? It might be someone dangerous._ Time to die!" the villain yelled, running from the room.

Izuku watched him flee, a small spark of hope finally igniting in his chest. Despite the lingering effects of whatever he had been drugged with, he could feel One For All humming in his veins, responding to his panic. By the way Twice reacted, intruders were a rare occurrence, and potentially dangerous enough to keep the entire League distracted. If he was caught, who knew what horrors they had in store for him. But Izuku _had_ to take this chance, it sounded like he would likely be drugged for the foreseeable future.

He was chained to his bed with a heavy chain that would have been an issue for most people, but Izuku merely broke a single link, leaving him only with the cuff chafing around his wrist. He considered the possibility of them placing a tracking device on him, but he doubted that they would have taken the precaution when he was supposed to be sedated all the time.

Pausing to observe his environment, Izuku found nothing of use or of importance, so he barrelled through the wall, One For All leaving an impressive hole. A mixture of adrenaline and the leftover drugs in his system was probably not very good for him, but it helped him ignore his wounds as his quirk crackled across his body. He leapt as far away from the building as he could manage, sailing high into the night sky. Once his feet hit the ground, he ran. He ran with a desperation he'd never felt before, he ran until his feet faltered, his abused body calling for mercy.

He had run without direction, and now he wondered just where he was running _to._ It was late enough that Izuku didn't see another soul on the streets. He didn't recognize where he was - he had escaped, but it was starting to feel hopeless.

Going to the authorities just yet wasn't an option if they wanted to capture Arson anytime soon. If Izuku suddenly resurfaced it would scare the man away completely - he would slip away and disappear into another country. He needed to be stopped.

That meant that U.A. was also out of the question. And his mother didn't have the means to defend herself if the League came for retribution, and she couldn't get protection until he was officially alive again.

No, he would keep his mother out of it. Ideally no one would get involved in the situation, but that just wasn't possible. Then who could… wait, he knew this part of town. More specifically, he knew one of these houses and where the spare key was.

Izuku really should have recognized the area so much sooner. He didn't know if it was because of the leftover drugs in his system or the resurfacing pain that was fogging up his mind, but the brief reasoning he'd accomplished earlier was as much as he could handle.

The key was under the welcome mat as per usual, which in hindsight is a pretty terrible place to keep the spare key. His hand shook as he unlocked the door, nearly falling into the house.

Inside Izuku almost instantly felt safe. He stumbled into the kitchen, and once his eyes fell on the fridge, his stomach growled ferociously. Oh, that was probably part of the reason he felt like he was going to fall over. The League had likely only fed him enough to keep him alive.

He stumbled over to the fridge, desperately ripping it open. There wasn't a ton in it, but Izuku nearly cried when he saw rice balls.

Yagi Toshinori was woken up by the sound of his front door opening and closing. He listened to determine whether it had been a dream or not, but sure enough he heard footsteps. The thought of being robbed probably should have concerned him a bit more, especially now that he no longer had his quirk, but Toshinori merely grabbed his trusty baseball bat and prepared himself to Texas Smash someone in the face.

He kept his own footsteps soft as he slowly made his way through the house. No sign of anyone in his guest bedroom or his bathroom, and nothing in the living room either. That left one option, and sure enough Toshinori could already see the light from the refrigerator painting a silhouette on the linoleum tiles.

Hopefully it was just a hungry child he could get off the streets, but the figure seemed too large to be a mere child. Adjusting the grip on the bat, Toshinori called out in his deepest voice, "You've chosen to ransack the wrong house, villain."

The hunched figure straightened up, the fridge light still illuminating the bottom half of the person's face, and Toshinori's heart stopped. Hazy, fevered green eyes desperately focused on him. "All Might?"

Toshinori hadn't realized that the bat had slipped through his fingers until the metal clanged harshly on the floor. The two stood frozen, staring at one another, Toshinori desperately hoping that this was real, not some cruel dream.

Then his boy stretched out a hand to him. "All Might," he repeated, and it was the sweetest sound Toshinori had ever heard. Izuku took a few stumbling steps forward, and when the boy pitched forward like he was going to tip over, it felt like the ghost of One For All activated when Toshinori surged forward, catching the frail boy in his arms.

"Izuku my boy," Toshinori found himself saying with more emotion than he'd ever felt at once. "Izuku, I am here."

They stayed like that a few moments more, Izuku quietly sobbing into his chest. When he pulled away slightly, Toshinori wrapped an arm around the shaking teenager. "Come on, my boy. Let's get you looked at."

Toshinori's transcendent joy was the only thing that overshadowed how truly awful the young hero looked. As he helped Izuku settle onto his couch, the sight would have made Toshinori's stomach churn had it still existed. He still wore what remained of his hero costume, but the majority of it was burned, disintegrated, or bloodstained beyond recognition.

"That's the first time you've called me Izuku," the boy said suddenly.

Toshinori paused. So it was. "I apologize. I didn't mean to overstep -"

"No, I liked it," he said, green eyes slowly drifting closed.

That wasn't good. The boy needed to stay awake at least until his injuries were assessed. "Young Izuku, you must stay awake, at least for now." When there was no response, Toshinori repeated, "Izuku!"

"Don't slap my face," the boy mumbled, barely audible.

"What?" Toshinori asked, aghast.

The boy cracked his eyes open, giving Toshinori the smallest glimpse of green. "After the Sludge Villain you slapped me awake. It didn't feel good."

Toshinori didn't quite know how to respond to that. Now that Izuku mentioned it, he _did_ remember that. Chiyo would kill him if she found out. After the loss of his quirk, he'd approached the woman about giving him lessons in First Aid - it gave him a use during training. But Toshi was quickly learning that he hadn't always been as… delicate as he should have been.

"So I did. But never fear, my boy, I'll never do anything to hurt you. Can you stay awake long enough for me to get my First Aid Kit?"

He blinked a few times. "Yeah, I should be fine, All Might."

"If I'm to call you Izuku, it's only right that you call me Toshinori. Or you could even call me Toshi like Gran Torino," he said, rising to his feet.

"Toshinori," Izuku said slowly, feeling the name on his lips before they quirked into a small smile.

Ruffling the boy's hair, Toshinori stepped away, disappearing into the bathroom. Before he collected the necessary medical supplies, he stood in front of the sink, grasping in while he took a few shuddering breaths. Young Midoriya was _alive,_ but he'd clearly suffered so much. It was only a matter of moments before Toshinori was able to compose himself, gathering every item that could possibly be used in this situation.

True to his word, Izuku was still awake, sitting upright but staring vacantly. He startled when Toshinori cleared his throat. "Sorry, All M- Toshinori. I was a little zoned out there."

"What were you thinking of, my boy?"

He thought as Toshinori carefully helped him out of the tatters that used to be his hero suit. "A lot of things, I guess. I think I'm in shock, at least this feels like what Recovery Girl explained to us in our training. Everything feels… weird. Nothing feels real, I guess. I mean, I know I just escaped from the League of Villains, but I don't feel… Well, I feel plenty, this hurts a lot, but I don't really feel any emotions right now?"

Toshinori swallowed, trying to be as gentle as possible as he wiped away dried blood. "The League had you?"

"Yeah, they saved me from Arson last minute. Apparently Shigaraki has some fascination with me," Izuku said, his eyes dim. "I'm tired, Toshi. I'm just really tired."

"I know, my boy," Toshinori murmured, slowly bandaging Izuku. The boy was beat up to be sure, and the areas of flesh that were disintegrated would take some time, but it was nothing he couldn't heal from. "But you can rest now."

"No," Izuku said almost immediately. "Not until Hisashi is stopped."

"Young Izuku, there are many heroes that are already working on tracking Arson down," Toshinori assured.

"You don't understand," Izuku said, grasping his mentor's arm. "Hisashi is using _my_ quirk to kill people. I had a quirk, All Might."

* * *

 **A/N: My finals are over and I'm moved back home for the summer, so I feel alive again just like Deku. See y'all soon!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Arson

Arson could have easily avoided the alarms the League had set up around their lair, but he willfully ignored them. He wanted everyone to know he was there - he wanted them to _panic._

A handful of them waited in the dingy bar for him. The creepy crusty child stared at him through the fingers of the hand resting on his face. "You're not welcome here, Arson."

"Well, I wouldn't be here if I had gotten paid," Arson said with a facsimile of a cordial smile.

The demented stabby girl barked a laugh. "If you would have taken out the target you were supposed to, then maybe we would have paid you. But instead you hurt my sweet Deku."

Arson felt his eye twitch. "The world has one less hero in it, and that Deku child would have been far more troublesome than Kamui Woods could ever hope to be. I merely cut him down before he became too much to handle."

Shigaraki growled, lunging towards Arson with an outstretched hand that was misdirected at the last moment by a simple telekinetic tug from Arson. He stopped suppressing his smile, letting his mouth slide into a full maniacal grin. "I see that we're not going to come to a peaceful agreement, which is just as well. I've always wanted to let loose with this much alcohol around."

The stabby girl was the first to react, leaping forward with a knife extended. She wasn't quick enough, though. She yelped when he caught one of her buns with telekinesis, yanking on her hair sharply. Arson had to give the girl credit, though, it didn't stop her from throwing the knife with what would have been deadly accuracy if it didn't halt in midair.

Arson chuckled, smoke puffing from his lips as the members present attacked as one - and he could hear the hurried footsteps of more approaching.

At his direction, flames coiled around him while he managed to keep the League of Villains at bay. One or two more came through the door, but they couldn't make it through or counter his fire any better than the others, so it was really inconsequential. One person in particular hung back, not even trying to engage in the situation as he viewed everything with mild disinterest.

"Dabi, help us! You know flames," the idiot in the top hat yelled as he attempted (and failed) to compress Arson's flames.

The scarred man only sighed. "He's clearly more accurate with his fire than I am with mine. What makes you think that I wouldn't just make things worse?"

Arson chuckled deep in his chest. "At least one of you has some sense. Only an idiot would have failed to notice the fact that I have at least a weak capacity for telekinesis on top of breathing fire. Well, I say weak, but I actually mean accurate. The smaller a thing is, the easier it is for me to control. I move the very particles that make up my flames, and nothing is stopping me from doing the same to his."

"And why would you tell us such valuable information?" Facepalm asked in his grating voice.

"So you know that you can't fight against me, at least not since your portal bartender is gone. If I wanted to, I could steal the very air from your lungs, but where's the fun in that? I love watching things burn, crumble to ashes beneath me," Arson said, a line of flames snaking around Facepalm, raging towards the ceiling. "I'm sure that you of all people would understand. The point is, your little pyro is wise not to get involved in the fight. Besides, I always wanted my own villain monologue." Arson's grin grew impossibly and unsettlingly wider. "I only kill heroes, but I wanted to send my regards."

Facepalm growled, angrier than ever trapped in his cage of flames. "So you think that you deserve to be paid for taking out a hero student that you knew nothing about while your actual target is still being a menace."

"I knew more about that student than you think," Arson snapped. "And I actually don't care about the money. It was all just an excuse to come burn your lair to the ground and get a full measure of the child that All For One handpicked to be his successor."

Shigaraki stilled, his body language turning absolutely _feral._ "Don't speak of Sensei like you know him."

"You're beginning to repeat yourselves, but oh, I did know him. I knew him better than you can even imagine," Arson said, discreetly using his telekinesis to pull a few choice bottles into the air - the ones with the highest alcohol content. "I spent years as his dog, the silent assassin hiding in the shadows. And I wasn't supposed to, but I heard the reports about you, his brat that he only picked to spite All Might."

Shigaraki snarled, a wordless cry of rage, but he still couldn't move from his burning prison. The other members of the League looked on, some still trying to find ways around Arson's flames without success.

"That's right, Shimura Tenko. Sensei never cared about you or your abilities - your quirk was just icing on the cake. You're the same broken child that I meant all those years ago, you never grew up."

"Shut up, just SHUT UP!" Facepalm howled.

"And that's exactly why it's going to be so satisfying to watch your world burn."

With those final words, Arson released his hold on those bottles of alcohol. They came cascading down, shattering on the floor with a delicious sound - even better was the rush of air as the flames first found the alcohol.

There was a trail of shattered bottles leading to where all of the alcohol was stored, and there was less than a minute before the flames would reach the rest of the bottles. Arson stepped through the flames to the front door, relinquishing his control, the flames burning as they would natural.

He paused just before he stepped out. "I would recommend that you all leave while you can."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter! In the madness of moving I misplaced my Arson notebook so I was writing solely for Detective Midoriya. Expect a new chapter for that soon. But thank you for all of your comments! I can't tell you how satisfying it was to write the last chapter, or how hard it was to go back to Arson's perspective after the satisfaction of letting people know Izuku was alive. See you next chapter!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Izuku

"You don't understand," Izuku said, grasping his mentor's arm. "Hisashi is using _my_ quirk to kill people. I had a quirk, All Might."

"What do you mean, you had a quirk?"

"He- Arson… I developed my quirk early," Izuku said, tears already spilling down his cheeks, though he laughed a little, a hysteric bark of laughter. "But it was powerful, too powerful for a child I guess. I couldn't control it, so he found All For One. I think it was supposed to be to protect me, but it… changed him, or maybe All For One used a quirk to mess with his mind. I had a quirk and a father once, and now there's an unbeatable hero killer."

Toshinori didn't know what to say as the boy collapsed into his chest, sobbing harder than he'd ever seen (which was saying something). His boy had wounds, both physical and emotional, and it concerned Toshi just how dull Izuku's green eyes were, lacking their usual shine. That concerned him even more than the blood that was slowly seeping into his couch. He couldn't heal Izuku or fix the situation, so he did what he could. He wrapped his arms around the child and murmured, "Hush, my boy. It will be alright. Never fear, for I am here."

Izuku pulled away slightly, tears now falling faster than his blood had been. "How can you say that? He might be out there right now killing a hero with my quirk!"

"Listen, my boy, once it was stolen, completely unjustly I might add, it was no longer your quirk. At least, not in the way you're thinking. You are not responsible for how your father has utilized your quirk, just as I am not responsible for the way you choose One For All."

"But all of those heroes he killed-"

"We can't stop every injustice, and every hero must come to terms with that. But we have to focus on the goodness left," Toshinori said, feeling tears of his own begin to build. "And my boy, seeing you alive again is the best thing that's happened to me since the day I met you. So please, sleep, recover your strength."

Izuku nodded slowly, his weariness evident. His eyes began to drift closed, but when Toshinori began to move, his arm shot out, grasping his mentor's shirt desperately. "Please don't go."

Toshinori gently placed a hand on the boy's hair. "I wouldn't leave you for the world."

He helped Izuku lay down on the couch before seating himself in a recliner. For the longest time he stared at the boy, watching his chest rise and fall, assuring himself that this was real.

The grainy video of Izuu being swallowed by fire was all too vivid in Toshinori's memory. Now was the first time that he felt like he could breathe again since seeing the video. Still looking at the boy, he murmured, "For what it's worth, I've come to consider you my son."

That night, on his stiff recliner, sleep came more easily to Toshinori than it had in years.

All things said, he woke all too soon from the faint sound of his alarm sounding back in the bedroom. He got up to turn it off to avoid waking Izuku, but before he could, a small whimper caught his attention. The world still slept on around them, so there was barely enough light to make out the boy's form curling in on itself, breathing heavily and mumbling things that Toshinori could barely make out.

His panicked body language twisted Toshinori's heart, the boy's obvious pain, igniting emotions that were the only thing that could override his relief and happiness. All Might was furious. If he'd still had his quirk he would have been hard-pressed not to hunt down every last person who'd dared to touch his boy.

But now he sat, attempting to calm the boy, gently carding his long, thin fingers through his hair. He could only imagine how Izuku felt with all that had happened. Time and time again it seemed that Izuku was hurt by those who were supposed to protect him. He had grown up constantly belittled and teased, and Izuku had once confessed to him that not even his own mother had supported his dreams of heroism.

Even he had hurt the boy the first time they'd met. It terrified Toshinori, knowing just how close he'd come to shutting Izuku out of his life completely. Now he wouldn't trade the boy for the world. In a way, Izuku was his first family since Nana.

That was exactly why it was so hard to see his boy in pain, even if it was merely a nightmare. Toshi couldn't remember whether it was sleepwalking or nightmares that you weren't supposed to wake the person, possibly both. But when Izuku began screaming, Toshi decided that any repercussions from waking him would be better than leaving him in whatever hellscape his mind had conjured.

"Izuku my boy," Toshinori said, gently shaking him. "Izuku, wake up. You're safe, you're here with me."

Waking with a start, his unseeing green eyes darted nervously around the room. When they finally focused, he burst into tears. Small arms wound around Toshinori as Izuku once again sobbed into his chest.

"I don't know what they did to me," Izuku said between gasping sobs. "I don't know what they did, but it hurts, All Might. I'm scared, I'm so scared."

Toshinori felt his arms tighten around the boy, but he was careful not to exacerbate his wounds. Last night Toshi had given Izuku as many painkillers as he dared, and frankly the boy's pain tolerance was off the charts. If he was in this much pain still…

"I think we should go to U.A., young Izuku. There we can-"

"No!" the boy said, his hazy eyes filled with panic. "He might kill them, we can't-"

"Young Midoriya," Toshinori said sternly. "Your well being comes first, and you need more help than I can give. It's still very early, your classmates are likely still sleeping. We can disguise you and take you to the infirmary. Recovery Girl is the only person who has to know that you're alive, and we already know that she can be trusted to keep a secret. She's been trusted with the secret of One For All, after all."

Izuku found himself slowly nodding, although he wasn't sure if it was because he agreed with All Might's logic, or if he was merely jumping at the opportunity to get rid of the pain.

While All Might disappeared to find Izuku's "disguise," he huddled in a blanket on the couch, breathing slowly as he attempted to avoid making All Might worry any more than he already had.

It was new, this burning. Izuku struggled to fathom it. He'd likely not felt this pain before because of adrenaline in his system and sheer exhaustion. But it was different than anything he'd ever felt before, this flame that settled in his joints, raging through his veins and pounding through his heart. Izuku could move as freely as his bandages would allow, but the burning sensation was slowly sapping his strength. It was an aching need, his body crying out for something that Izuku couldn't name.

All Might came back with his own U.A. uniform kept from years ago, and he slowly helped Izuku dress. The uniform was outdated - it wasn't drastically different, but anyone looking hard enough would have noticed the handful of differences. It also nearly fell off of Izuku when he stood up. Toshinori had been considerably taller and wider than Izuku back then, so he had to hunt down a belt to cinch the pants to the boy's waist, then they had to roll up what seemed like a foot of excess material at the bottom of each pantleg. They also had to stuff tissues into the toe of Toshinori's shoes so they would stay on the boy's feet.

For reasons unexplained, Toshinori also owned an atrocious, matted rainbow clown wig that he carefully fitted onto Izuku's head. Finishing the look with a pair of large sunglasses and a tie tied by Izuku, he appeared to be the most shabby student that U.A. had ever seen. Iida would have been absolutely horrified. Nonetheless, Izuku sufficiently disguised.

Stepping out of his mentor's house had Izuku on edge - his frantic mind told him that Arson or the League of Villains was waiting for him behind every corner. Luckily Toshinori had a pickup, so getting to the school was simple and fast. Hopefully getting into the school would be as simple.

The drive was a short one, as well as a quiet one. If Izuku tried to talk, he would doubtlessly only make All Might worry more. Time was only making the burning worse, and Izuku felt liable to pass out at any second.

The haze was settling back into his mind, so much so that Izuku didn't really notice the worried glances that Toshinori kept sending his way. He helped Izuku out of the truck, acting as a crutch for the boy, his heart twisting whenever the boy whimpered the slightest bit.

By chance Toshi had the visitor's pass that he sometimes gave to Naomasa when there were incidents at the school to be investigated. They managed to pass through the gates without difficulty, although they almost lost the wig in a gust of wind. The school was silent and still, the only sounds originating from Izuku and Toshinori.

He fumbled with his keys a bit, but Toshinori was able to unlock one of Nezu's secret side doors, helping Izuku through before beginning to guide him towards the infirmary. He didn't like the way the boy's breathing was becoming more and more ragged, but he internally promised himself it would be alright. He wouldn't lose his boy again, not when they were only-

"Yagi," a cold voice cut in, chilling Toshinori to his core. "What are you doing with a student so early in the morning?"

"Aizawa!" Toshinori said with forced enthusiasm. "I was merely taking this young man to see Recovery Girl."

The news of Izuku's apparent death had not been kind to his homeroom teacher. The man only slept when Mic and Midnight chose to intervene, but they could rarely catch him. Besides, whatever sleep he did get was riddled with nightmares. Just as many people did, Aizawa considered himself responsible for not acting soon enough. The only person taking the news harder was young Todoroki.

Aizawa was the one who made the call not to release Arson's real name to the public, in hopes of luring the man into a false sense of security, and maybe sparing Mrs. Midoriya any modicum of pain.

The sunglasses on Izuku's face slipped just far enough that Toshinori caught a glimpse of the tears in the boy's eyes, even as his homeroom teacher glared at them with eyes more bloodshot than usual. "And why would you need to see Recovery Girl so early in the morning?"

Raw, intense emotions helped Izuku break through the fog that the pain covered his mind in. His sharp panic screamed that he couldn't tell Aizawa, he couldn't let Arson get to anyone else. But he also couldn't let the man go without trying to ease his suffering.

Izuku's voice was already gravelly from dehydration and lack of use, so in his best imitation of Kacchan, he said, "I'm in the support course and one of Hatsume's inventions exploded on me. We thought I would be fine, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

Aizawa stared critically at Izuku. Luckily the oversized clothes covered all of the bandages, but Izuku and Toshinori were rapidly becoming aware of the bruises and grime he was also covered in.

"Are you sure there isn't more to the story?"

Toshinori sidled closer to the man, whispering, "I think there's something going on at the boy's home, but it's a sensitive subject. The issue of his father needs to be handled delicately."

The man froze slightly at the word "father," pain flashing across his features. "Make sure it gets taken care of, Yagi. Be careful."

He moved to leave, but Izuku couldn't help himself when he shouted, "Thank you for caring, Mr. Aizawa. Thank you for being here for all of us, especially me."

His words startled Aizawa, stopping the man in his tracks, and Izuku panicked, realizing that he sounded too much like his normal self. But Aizawa didn't meet his eyes when he said, "Don't talk about things you don't know about, kid."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter, some family stuff came up and my writing time was severely diminished. That was combined with some serious writer's block, but I'm back!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Inko

Inko had gotten to the point that she only cried at night anymore. More often than not, if she didn't have anything to do she would sit and stare at whatever happened to be in front of her. People kept telling her to take it easy, stay at home a while longer, but that only made things worse, surrounded by memories and physical reminders of Izuku.

It seemed that it didn't hurt quite as much - she was slowly becoming emotionally numb. She moved through the world completely unaffected by it, or so she thought. Emotions would strike at the least predictable times - hearing a child in passing excitedly ask for katsudon for dinner, learning of a new quirk and instinctively mentally cataloguing it to tell Izuku later, or even seeing All Might merchandise. Things like that would leave Inko silently crying, shaking and overwhelmed.

She had accepted a life without Hisashi long ago. It had hurt a lot, but she had her beautiful, kind son to give her a purpose. Back then she thought she knew loss, because her husband leaving of his own accord was a special brand of heartache. When he came back, a part of her wanted to let him in, have her family together again one more time. But she had limits, she wouldn't allow him to hurt her like that again, wouldn't allow him to hurt _Izuku_ like that again. When he'd first left, Inko felt like Hisashi had taken her heart halfway across the world with him. Now she would have happily cut her heart out of her own chest if she could just see Izuku one more time.

Her emotional, mental, and even physical state spiralled out of control until in the seat of her deepest despair came what seemed the one positive thing left in her life forced her way into Inko's house. Inko had fallen apart quite completely, fallen far enough that she wasn't sure she would ever be herself again, but Mitsuki was having none of that.

Unshed tears made the blonde's eyes gleam in a particular way as she said, "That's enough, Inko. I won't let you destroy yourself like this! I won't let _him_ destroy you."

Inko was deadweight as Mitsuki hauled her to her feet from off the couch, only upright because the other woman held her up. "I'm fine, Mitsuki. You shouldn't waste your time on me."

"You're not fine," Mitsuki said sternly. "You're pale, and you've lost too much weight. The last time I know for sure you ate was when All Might visited last, and he looks just as bad. I hate saying this, but I can't even tell when you last bathed! Inko, at this rate you'll-"

"I'll what, Mitsuki?" Inko interrupted, catching her friend off guard. "What more do I possibly have to lose? What reason do I have to take care of myself? What's the point of any of this?"

"Don't you dare say that your life doesn't have meaning anymore, Inko. Don't you dare," Mitsuki growled, a few tears streaking down her face. "Izuku didn't die for you to give up, and follow him to an early grave."

A savage sob tore through Inko, and she buried her face in her hands. "I know that. I know he wanted me to live a happy life, but I'm not strong like you are, Mitsuki. I don't know how to keep going. I don't know how to live knowing that Izuku traded his life for mine."

"Inko, you are so much stronger than me," Mitsuki said, bracing the other woman's shoulders. "You take in the people who have no one and love the unloveable, because even though they might hurt you, those are the people who need you most. But most of all, Inko, you're the best mother I've ever seen. You raised Izuku to be who he was."

When Inko met Mitsuki's eyes once more, the raw pain in them hurt to see. "Who did I raise Izuku to be though? A sacrificial lamb?"

"You raised him to be selfless," Mitsuki said firmly. "Selfless and brilliant, but most of all you raised him to be kind. I wish I could have given my brat half of Izuku's kindness."

Inko said nothing, not even a slight chuckle, so Mitsuki plowed on. "You're the one who taught me that even though you feel like the world is falling to pieces around you, you're still breathing. The world is still spinning, and there is at least one person on this earth that needs you in their life one day. I refuse to watch you self-destruct, so you are going to shower right now, and then you are going to eat an actual meal."

Inko slowly nodded, a new wave of tears spilling down her face. "I'm sorry I'm so broken and weak."

"You hush. Everyone has different strengths, mine just happens to be yelling at people until they do what I want them to. You have a gift for loving people, and so did Izuku. That's why he's gone, because of his love. But I know you'll smile again one day, Inko. And when you do, Izuku will be proud."

"Thank you, Mitsuki," Inko said through her tears, a skill she had developed through years of practice. Izuku had also developed the same skill, but Mitsuki had to push away that thought before it could linger too long.

"No thanks necessary, Inko. This has been coming for a long time. I'm glad that I'm finally able to help you back." There was a slight pause before she continued, "I was serious about that shower, though."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey all, I'm back! I really wasn't planning to have another Inko chapter, but my writing does what it wants. Hey, I have a tumblr now! It's the same handle as on here, so come visit me at rogueptoridactyl.**

 **On a slightly different note, I know this is later than you probably expected, but I've been dealing with some stuff. Between my two jobs, it's hard to find time to write, and lately when I've had time, it's hard to find motivation. There's been a lot going on in my life lately, especially with family, and it's all been kind of stewing and fermenting in my mind, and this week has been... rough. I'm not "okay" right now, but I know I will be, so you don't need to worry. I guess I mainly wanted to let you all know that there are things in life that you don't think you can deal with, and then they happen and the world is ending. For me, that happened about a month and a half ago. But as impossible as I thought it was, life kept going. The world kept spinning and I was even able to smile again. The situation isn't resolved, and I'm not always at one-hundred percent, but I don't have to be.**

 **I guess this chapter was kind of my way of telling myself that it's okay to deal with things differently than other people. It's okay that I go through anxiety and depression when others seem to deal with things so much more effectively. But be kind to yourself, take care of yourself. Find people who care about you that will listen. I am more than willing to hear out anyone that needs it.**

 **Take care of yourselves.**

 **-Rogue**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Izuku

The burning was coming in waves now, each worse than the last. If All Might hadn't been walking beside him, Izuku would have succumbed to the pain long ago, curling up in some hallway or another.

Meanwhile, Toshinori was growing more and more worried. The boy was unnaturally pale, and beginning to stumble every few steps. The infirmary felt like it was leagues away at this point. When they did make it, unsurprisingly the lights were off. The door had been left unlocked, but Toshinori was not in the mood to question their luck.

It was a bit disheartening to see how large a struggle it was to help Izuku into the slightly-too-tall hospital bed. The boy was breathing heavily, eyelids fluttering in the dim light from the hall. Toshinori found himself running a hand through his hair. "It will be okay, my boy. It will all be okay."

He nearly screamed when the fluorescent lights flipped on, revealing the principal standing near the door. "Oh dear, it appears my suspicions were true. Luckily Recovery Girl is already on her way. I expect a full report on how you came to find one of our precious students in such a state on my desk by the end of the day."

"Of course, sir," Toshinori said, inwardly panicking. _How did he always know? How was Toshinori supposed to keep Izuku's secret for him?_

It was fortunate that the principal was there, though, because he was clearly in a more logical state of mind than Toshinori was. Recovery Girl came in only moments later. It really was a boon that she had been among the teachers who had elected to live on campus, because it meant she would always show up, even so absurdly in the morning in her nightgown and slippers with a lab coat thrown on top.

However, any annoyance was forsaken for urgency when she saw Izuku. The atrocious disguise was still in place, so the boy wasn't immediately recognizable. But his eyes were hazy, and his hands began clutching at anything that was within reach. "It hurts," he moaned. "It hurts, All Might, it's burning. Make it stop, make it stop, please."

Recovery Girl looked at Toshinori sharply. "What happened? This boy is inches from death." She unwrapped one of the sloppy bandages, shaking her head. "It appears he's rested, at least. A bit too rested, it feels unnatural, like he's been sedated. At any rate, it still serves my purposes."

Recovery Girl kept unravelling the bandage on Izuku arm until her eyes came to rest on his hand. She stilled. "I know these scars. Toshinori, exactly how is Midoriya alive?"

Toshinori sputtered, his mind completely failing him in coming up with something to say while Nezu clapped his paws in delight. "Excellent! While his current state is unfortunate, this is just the outcome I had hoped for."

"You can tell us the story later, close your mouth," Recovery girl said after pressing a kiss into the boy's temple.

Even after all those years, it was a miracle watching Chiyo's quirk in action, wounds closing and bruises fading. It should have relieved Izuku's pain, but moments after it was finished, Izuku went completely rigid.

Toshinori furrowed his brow, worry spiking through him once more. "Is that supposed to-"

The only warning that something hugely wrong was happening was the brief moment when red energy crackled across Izuku's body, a sign of his quirk in action. His eyes rolled back, and his body started convulsing, horrible jerky movements. The force behind them, however, was enough to break the bed he was on, and his arm.

"We need Aizawa in here _now,_ " Chiyo commanded, already picking up the phone.

"Wait, we don't need to get more people involved," Toshinori said, thinking of Midoriya's panic earlier. "Can't you just use a quirk suppressant?"

"That child is going through a drug-induced seizure. I don't know what drugs he's been forced to endure, but from what I can see it lashed out because I used my quirk. Any normal sedatives would have been just fine, but whatever they put into Midoriya must be the product of a quirk. Drugs produced from quirks are unpredictable. Right now we have no way to administer a quirk suppressant to the boy, as we would likely die in the process. And it wouldn't benefit us at all, because with this mystery drug in his system any other medications - especially a quirk suppressant- would likely kill the boy. Yes, Aizawa, we need you in the infirmary room now," Chiyo said, the last sentence spoken into her cell phone.

It was really only a few moments before Aizawa entered into the room, but it seemed so much longer than that. Toshinori stared at his seizing student, guilt weighing heavily on him. He was doing this all wrong, so wrong. Under Toshinori's care the boy was closer to death than he had been under the League of Villains. He didn't know how he was going to live with himself if he had to bury his boy a second time.

Shota didn't dare question Recovery Girl when she called sounding like _that._ He had no doubt that the person in danger was the student that had been limping along with Yagi, but what could have possibly been so urgent? How could they let _another_ student pass under the radar? Thoughts of Midoriya spurred Aizawa on faster. He wouldn't allow another student to suffer.

He couldn't fail to protect another child.

When he burst into the infirmary, there was already quite a crowd, but he couldn't waste time on that. "Use your quirk on the boy," Chiyo barked. "He's seizing, and he's about to break himself and the school beyond repair."

Aizawa did as he was told, worry for the unnamed student eclipsing any questions. Once his quirk was activated, the familiar red energy dissipated, and Recovery Girl and Yagi were able to turn the boy on his side, stopping him from further harming himself.

The red energy… No, Aizawa must have imagined it. He couldn't allow himself to hope, even if the kid's arm was disgustingly familiarly purple from the force of his quirk. It had to be someone else, because Midoriya was-

Midoriya definitely was-

At some point the wig had slipped, falling to the floor and exposing a head of dirty green hair, matted with blood and grime. Freckles stood out on the boy's unnaturally pale face, and now that the sunglasses were off, Aizawa couldn't believe he had taken so long to verify.

Midoriya was alive, but he might be dying in front of his teachers.

He kept his eyes trained on the boy - after all, the boy was monstrously strong without the help of his quirk. They didn't need the boy accidentally taking one of them out. Now it was up to them to wait out the seizure, and that likely meant a few minutes of staring at the child. So he addressed the room, eyes still trained on his student. "How is Midoriya alive?"

"Yes, I believe we would all like to hear the answer," Nezu said, staring at Toshinori.

The former Symbol of Peace swallowed. "First, you all have to keep this a secret. Midoriya insists, he thinks he's protecting us in some way by keeping it quiet, and he might not be wrong." He waited until he had their agreement before he continued. "I thought Izuku was dead, just as we all did, until he showed up at my house very late last night. He was bleeding and starving, and I honestly don't know how the boy had walked all that way."

"But how did he get that way?" Aizawa growled.

This was the hardest part to say. Toshinori closed his eyes. "When Izuku was fighting, moments before he was burned to death, the League of Villains stole him right out from under Arson. They must have used their warp gate villain to do so. But they kept him sedated and chained up in their lair to do with him what they would. He only remembered waking up disoriented and in pain with the villain called Twice guarding him. Before Twice could call for someone to sedate him, there was an alarm of some sort that the man ran to check and Midoriya broke out with his quirk. Then he apparently walked until he recognized my house."

Aizawa kept his eyes trained on the boy even as the convulsions faded away. Midoriya was alive. A part of him didn't dare to take his eyes off the boy, because if this was a dream he didn't want to give it up. Chiyo had to kiss the boy once more to heal the damage that was caused by his uncontrolled quirk use, but other than that, Midoriya lay completely still. His breathing was almost imperceptible.

"I have a private medical room for emergencies. No one can get to it except me and whoever I invite in, so Midoriya's secret will stay safe. All I can do is try to keep the boy stable right now. There's nothing that can help with the drug in his system unless we had the person whose quirk it derived from here with us. We just have to wait it out and pray to whatever deities you believe in that this boy will make it."

"Is there anything we can do?" Toshinori asked, wringing his hands with anxiety.

"Don't you have classes to teach?" she asked archly. "Go, I'll watch him. You can come see him at lunch, but until then go take care of your responsibilities. The first and foremost is to put on some real clothes, All Might. You're a disgrace."

Toshinori glanced down with some shame. That morning they had focused on disguising Izuku, and as a result he had thrown on whatever random pieces of clothing he touched first, which left him with a rather distasteful outfit, the worst of which was a button-down American flag shirt that David had gotten him a few years ago as a gag gift.

"I suppose I should go take care of that," he said awkwardly. After the men helped transfer Izuku into Chiyo's private medical room and clean up the damage from Izuku's quirk as best they could, they quickly left the door, lest they seek the further criticism of Recovery Girl.

Chiyo set up an IV drip for the boy to keep him hydrated and did her best to see to his comfort, but he was completely unconscious. She found herself cleaning him as much as she could, her heart twisting as she washed away more and more blood.

"Now it's time to stay strong, Midoriya," she found herself whispering. "Everyone needs you more than you could possibly know."

Throughout the rest of that morning, Nezu couldn't help but smile to himself - this was just what he had hoped had happened. Midoriya was a stronger child than any of them could realize, he wouldn't give up so easily now. Of the humans Nezu knew, Midoriya was one of his favorite. The boy was polite and actually quite brilliant. Besides, he idolized Nezu just as much as the human heroes he admired so much. (Learning that had warmed Nezu's heart in ways that he didn't think were possible.) This was classified information, naturally. It wouldn't do for the other students to learn of this. Nezu couldn't suppress a small chuckle into his teacup. This day was turning out to be a wonderful one indeed.

Present Mic, who had just happened to be passing by the principal's office, froze near the doorway. Sheer terror kept him in place until his common sense kicked in. If Nezu was laughing, it was time to move countries. He moved as quietly as his boots and leather pants allowed, booking it to Shota's classroom.

"Shooooooota," Present Mic whispered, which meant it was roughly the same volume as the average person talking excessively loudly. "Shota, we need to leave right now Nezu was-"

Hizashi skidded to a stop, coming face to face with the only thing in the world that was potentially more terrifying than Nezu laughing: Shota was _smiling._

* * *

 **A/N: By my estimation, this is roughly version 7 of this chapter. Something about this chapter just wasn't working, but here it is! This story is starting to wind up, we don't have much further to go! As always, this is an effort to get feedback and improve my writing, so let me know what you think! And for those of you wondering, I'm hoping to get the next chapter of Detective Midoriya done within the next couple days.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Hisashi?

It was close to summer break when he first saw her. Finals were coming, and Hisashi had (naturally) left his largest projects until the last possible minute. He had been dashing around the library, frantically looking for any sources that he could cram into his research paper for the slightest big of credibility. In his haste, he crashed into a girl, sending the books in her arms tumbling to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," he said, bowing low before beginning to bend down to pick up her books.

To his shock, the books rose to the girl's waiting hands. "Oh, you don't have to apologize, these things happen."

Her face was red, and she was waving her hands just a bit too much. But Hisashi couldn't help but stare. His finals-addled mind fixated on her, sure that with her pink cardigan and green hair she was the embodiment of a spring morning. Soft and gentle like her voice, Hisashi was certain he'd met some sort of benevolent goddess.

"I… I'm Hisashi, Midoriya Hisashi," he stammered.

"Oh, I'm Kobayashi Inko. I probably should have introduced myself earlier, I'm sorry!"

"You don't have to apologize either, I just… it's nice to meet you!" Hisashi said, his own face growing red as his voice grew louder with each word.

A staunch-looking librarian materialized, shooing them out. "Go flirt elsewhere, there are students trying to study." Before they could respond in any way, the two had been pushed out the library doors.

Inko bit her lip. "Well, I suppose I'll have to come back in the evening when a different librarian is here."

"Me too," Hisashi said sheepishly. "But in the meantime… Would you come and get some lunch with me? I can't help but feel we should get to know each other better."

She clearly hesitated, but finally she smiled, her green eyes shining. "I would love to. It's always great to make more friends."

In that one meal, Hisashi learned many things about Kobayashi Inko. Her quirk was attraction (and he could testify to that), she was a social work major, she enjoyed cooking, and she was quite possibly the kindest person to ever grace the earth.

He felt mundane in comparison, but everything she found out about him seemed to positively fascinate her. She especially enjoyed hearing about his philosophy class, and they had a long discussion about his paper that he should be working on, his take on various philosophers' views on the conscious self, and which ones he felt were correct.

"I really think that the self is a fluid identity. If you look at someone throughout their various stages of life, they respond to things completely differently. There is no concrete identity to each person, because they might respond to things differently from one moment to the next, let alone with years in between them."

"I don't think so," Inko said thoughtfully. "Yes, we might respond to things differently, but I don't believe that identity, or the conscious self is as fluid as you make it out to be. How we respond to things is largely circumstantial, so we respond differently in different circumstances. I think that everyone has some aspect to themselves or their personality that will never change, no matter what. If you look at people that have some sort of head trauma, or mental illness that drastically changes how they act, there is still some piece of them that survives, some part of the person they once were that their loved ones know and recognize."

They spoke like that until they were kicked out of the restaurant for being there too long, their food only partially eaten. Apparently neither of them had been kicked out of a single establishment before that day - Hisashi couldn't help but be excited to do something with her for the first time.

By then there was a different librarian on shift, and neither of them could avoid their finals any longer. Hisashi stayed up until three in the morning finishing his paper, but that night he dreamed of striking green eyes and a pink cardigan.

It seemed like fate when he found her again the next semester when stakes weren't so high. She worked at the campus bookstore and Hisashi spent the entirety of the semester coming up with increasingly absurd excuses to visit. The semester after that he actually worked up the nerve to ask her for her phone number, and from there it only took them a year to kiss, and another three to get engaged.

Those were the happiest years of his life, and words could not describe the emotions he felt when he found out that he was going to be a father. The joy he and Inko felt throughout her entire pregnancy was nothing compared to what he felt when he looked into his son's eyes for the first time, his precious Izu-

Arson woke up with a jolt, his heart racing. He'd left the TV on again, and once more they'd been covering "Deku's" murder. He roared, his breath frying the TV beyond recognition.

Damn him. _Damn him._ Hisashi was supposed to be dead, but clearly something of the spineless man lived on in his head. Anger coursed through Arson, making him feel like his entire body was on fire. His hands shook with the visceral need to burn something.

To burn _someone._

It needed to be big, it needed to be drastic. A random second-rate hero wouldn't do, No, Hisashi would need to be extinguished, he would have to do something utterly devastating, something even worse than killing his own son and revealing himself to his wife.

He glanced around at his safe house. It was little more than a prison. Arson sneered. It must have been some remnant of Hisashi that gave him any hesitation to burn down the world. He needed to prove that he was above everyone else, better than them all. This quirk really would have been wasted on Izuku and his good intentions. No, instead Arson was going to make the world his, beginning with the hero society.

And where better to start than the top?

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back! I had a bit of writer's block for this chapter, and then I was at a family reunion with a lot of screaming children, so it wasn't really an environment that facilitated good writing. But this is done, for better or for worse. Thank you all for continuing to read and support this story!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Izuku

Izuku was trapped, stuck in his own pain. He knew logically that there were drugs coursing through his system, and there were people doing everything that could be done to help and protect him, but that didn't stop the pain or mindless fear.

He was back in the subway station with flames blazing around him, and Izuku was facing it all alone. Among the flames his father lurked, and this time Izuku doubted he would survive. Unlike last time, now there were no civilians to be saved. Izuku stood frozen, fear paralyzing him as footsteps echoed against the cement. He had to hide, he had to- he had to-

A figure cleared the smoke and flames, a woman with a kind face and the same hairstyle as his mother

"You've been through a lot, kid. You're hurt, and you're scared, and you're so tired. But you're not done yet."

He blinked at her, his mind still foggy. "You're… Youre one of the previous holders of One For All."

"You're right kid, I'm Shimura Nana. Let's get you out of here."

"But he's going to- people will get hurt," Izuku protested.

"We're in your head, remember? The only person that can get hurt right now is you."

Her hand found his forearm and she pulled him behind her. He didn't put up much resistance, his feet just kind of naturally following the woman. She pulled him out of the subway tunnel, up and out. Izuku hadn't noticed that it had been an issue, but once he cleared the entrance he could breathe again. A weight he didn't know existed slipped off of his chest, and with every step, the burning that had settled into his bones disappeared, and he could think and see more clearly than he had in days.

Six other people were waiting for them in a nearby park, with a blanket laid out like they were at a picnic. They all felt incredibly familiar to Izuku.

"You guessed it right, Izuku," a bubbly woman said. "We're the previous holders of One For All."

"He didn't guess out loud yet," another hissed.

She waved it away. "Well you know how my quirk-"

"He doesn't know about that one yet, so don't-"

"Enough," a broad-shouldered man said with gravity. "We're here to help the boy, remember."

"I'm sorry," Izuku said, ducking his head while tears stung his eyes. "I've let you all down and now you have to try to fix my mistakes."

He was surprised by a soft _thwack_ on the back of his head. "No apologizing!" Nana barked. "I love Toshi like my own son, but when I hear some of the ideas he's managed to put in your head I want to strangle him."

"What?" Izuku asked.

"Sit," said the broad-shouldered man. "Listen."

Izuku did as he asked, mind finally alert.

"One For All is a secret to the general public, yes, but it was never intended to separate the one who holds the power from the rest of the world. I was the one who named the quirks, you know. I had visions of my brother using his power to protect even a single person, all the power the world offered used for the individual. But he twisted the name and his power to suit his own purposes and became the man he still is, slowly growing more and more corrupt."

"So I named my own quirk One For All when I discovered it, because I was determined to be the one that stood and fought for all people when they needed it. But while the fight against my brother and all crime progresses, we're not meant to stand alone. The very quirk sees to that. You have each of us standing with you, but you also have a multitude of friends that want to help you. While Toshinori was admirable and accomplished great things, he placed himself beyond the common man. When he fell, the public faith in heroes was shaken."

Nana gently ruffled his hair. "You're not the first of us to need help dealing with an out-of-control family member. Remember that we're here."

"He's planning something big," the previously bubbly girl said, frowning. "I don't know specifics, but if you don't stop ARson now you might now be able to. He's losing his grip on reality quickly."

"We're going to wake you up really soon," someone else said. "Your pain should be minimal, just try and keep it that way."

Izuku nodded before Nana pulled him into a tight hug. "Tell Toshi that we know he's doing his best and we couldn't ask for more. Then tell him to quit being a pansy and go do something fun once in a while. I didn't entrust him with One For All to live out his days in pathetic hermitude."

"I'll tell him."

"Between us and Recovery Girl, you're in pretty good shape," someone else said. "There's no way your teachers will agree to let you deal with your old man, so you're going to have to sneak out and recruit some friends."

"We've watched you learn and grow, Izuku. We couldn't have asked for a better successor," another said.

The first holder nodded. "That's why we're telling you to follow your instincts. When it comes to dealing with your father we could give you advice, but in the end you're the only one who can make that call. Trust yourself, Izuku."

Izuku's eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy. He felt more like himself than he had in a while. He was in an unfamiliar medical room, but he wasn't worried. A secret medical bunker sounded exactly like something U.A. would have. It was darkening outside, and he felt a sense of urgency that was explained by the blaring of the radio that someone left on.

"-report just came in that Number One Hero Endeavor is currently fighting a masked figure. Even if he's not the number one hero of our hearts, he does know how to kick billain butt. There is some speculation that his may be the notorious Arson, who _will_ be brought to justice. WE may be shaken at the tragic loss of Midoriya Izuku, listeners, but rest assured that the heroes are more determined to fight than ever. We'll keep you updated on this situation as it progresses."

A multiplicity of emotions coursed through Izuku at hearing the words of his teacher, but there was no time for that. He had to save Endeavor (ugh), but first he had to recruit some people. There was also the matter of getting himself and his chosen allies off the campus without being spotted, though somehow that felt secondary.

Luckily it seemed that this room was disguised as part of Recovery Girl's office, so there was a window he was able to clamber out of. Equally luckily, it was on the ground floor, so Izuku didn't have to worry about more injuries just yet. After being pumped up by all the previous holders he wouldn't let himself die via window, especially when his last death was so… noble. Kacchan would probably make sure they wrote something stupid on his gravestone if he hadn't already.

Izuku crept across the campus, feeling oddly liberated. He kept to the shakows as he made his way to Heights Alliance, but for some reason he felt like he didn't have to worry about security cameras. Something told him that Nezu knew and approved of his plight.

He came to Shinsou's dorm first, a room that was mercifully on the second floor. It was child's play to leap up to the ledge of the window, landing lightly. One hand grasped the top of the window while the other lightly rapped on the glass.

He saw the light flick on beyond the curtain and heard footsteps accompanied by a muffled grumble.

"Kaminari, I swear if you wake me up one more-" Shinsou cut off when he saw Izuku at his window, purple eyes widening slightly. He opened the window to be hear and be heard better.

Shinsou dramatically spread his arms. "I've been waiting for this day. Take me, Midoriya. Send me to the eternal sleep where I won't have to do math."

"What?" Izuku had been ready for a variety of reactions - screaming, crying, disbelief - but nothing like this. " _What?_ " he repeated.

"Oh, you're alive. At least I don't have to suffer alone. Come on in, Midoriya."

With Shinsou's help Izuku clambered through the window into his room. It was sparse, most notably filled with a variety of cat paraphernalia and a yellow sleeping bag much like Aizawa's.

"As much as I would enjoy the sweet release of death, I'm glad you're alive, Midoriya. You make life a little more worth living."

The unexpected words surprised Izuku almost as much as Shinsou's greeting, and he felt tears begin to flood his ducts - after all, it had been a few hours since he had cried.

Having been exposed to enough of Izuku's spontaneous crying episodes, Shinsou _sensed_ the tears coming and tried to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. "I imagine you have a story to tell and some insane plan that's going to piss off Aizawa and potentially reveal a state secret or something. Hit me with it."

Izuku saw what Shinsou was doing, and he appreciated it. Clearing his throat, he said, "I would rather explain things once, and we need one more person."

"Excellent, Aizawa's rage will be spread out a bit. Just please tell me you're not using me as a scapegoat to pin our collective actions on."

"What?" Izuku squeaked. "No, I would never! I'm so sorry you thought that's what I was doing, I promise-"

"It was a joke, Midoriya. Let me guess, we're going to get Todoroki?"

"Y-yeah. I would ask how you guessed, but we don't really have time. Let's go," Izuku said, already sticking one leg out of the window.

"Or we could use the door," Shinsou deadpanned.

"I can't risk being spotted by anyone else. Meet us in the courtyard in a few minutes and I'll explain everything."

Izuku dropped out of the window, landing lightly on his feet. He could see Todoroki's window from here, and he mentally calculated the distance a few times over before he leapt. His quirk came more easily to him this time, but that also had the unfortunate side-effect of Izuku overshooting the jump a little bit. He arced dramatically in the air, hurling straight at the window. For whatever reason Todoroki left his window open, so instead of shattering the glass, Izuku merely spilled into the room, causing a loud crash.

He was immediately frozen to the floor and Todoroki tumbled out of bed, immediately looking menacing. The effect was slightly killed by his bedhead, but his face morphed into confusion when he saw that it was Izuku frozen.

"I haven't had this dream before," Todoroki mumbled. "Could you haunt me after I've had a full-night's sleep, Midoriya?"

"This isn't a dream, Todoroki," Izuku said even as Todoroki thawed him out.  
"It's really me, and I need your help."

"At least I can help you in my dream," Todoroki said, completely serious. "Where are we going?"

It was clear that Todoroki totally believed that this was all a dream, and he put up no resistance and asked no questions. He was content to let his "dream" play out, accepting it as it came. Izuku would have done something to convince his friend otherwise, but it just didn't seem to be worth it.

Todoroki eased their fall from the window with a massive slope of ice that he melted as soon as it was created, and they jogged towards the courtyard, where Shinsou waited.

"I assume you want to explain things off campus, let's go," Shinsou said.

"What are you three doing?" a voice called across the courtyard. Izuku stiffened when he recognized Vlad King marching towards them. 2-B's teacher looked infuriated, but he paled when he recognized Izuku.

"Midoriya? How are you… What are you…"

Shinsou improvised, making a show of looking around. "Are you okay, sensei? Why are you talking about Midoriya?"

"Don't you see him? He's right there!" Vlad King said, thrusting a finger in Izuku's face.

"I don't see anything, do you see anything Todoroki?"

Todoroki yawned. "Nope."

"My dear friend Todoroki and I are walking around because we couldn't sleep, but it sounds like you desperately need some right now, Vlad King. Maybe see Recovery Girl about your hallucinations in the morning."

Mercifully, Vlad King moved on, pale and mumbling to himself. Shinsou held back a snicker and the three stole away into the night.

"You're the man with a plan, Midoriya. How are we getting past the gates? We can't scale the wall or break through it if we want to live," Shinsou said as they continued to approach it.

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the school gates swung open. He smiled before speeding up. "We're getting out this way."

They ran for a few blocks before they paused to catch their breath. Izuku collapsed onto the ground before saying, "You two deserve an explanation."

* * *

 **A/N: We're approaching the end, my friends. We have maybe five chapters left. Will Izuku and co. prevail? Or will Arson actually finish Izuku off this time?**

 **On a different note, this story has been a joy to share with each of you. In reading the first few chapters, I can tell that I've grown quite a bit as a writer, and that's primarily due to your kind comments and criticisms. I hope I can do the ending of this justice, because I want to bring you all the best story I can. You've all been through some stuff with me, including a lot of my emotions, and you have no idea how encouraging your comments are to me. Stay Plus Ultra, my friends!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Arson

This was going to be the best fight yet, Arson could feel it in his bones. His mind was eager with anticipation even as he paused to watch his safehouse - his prison burn to the ground. A laugh burbled to the surface as he basked in the night air, his own breath taking off the edge of cold in the air.

It was a beautiful day to watch a hero die.

He kept laughing to himself as he strolled down the street, little flames occasionally escaping. No one would be able to stop Arson, and he could watch the world burn, unhindered. It would be so much sweeter once he had fought for it, though. From his experience, heroes made excellent kindling.

Arson's feet carried him to a place that had previously been taboo. He'd never cared enough to remember the man's name, but he'd been the closest thing Arson had had to a friend all these years. Accomplice, that was the word. This man was his accomplice, one that would soon severely regret that he'd ever had any association with All For One, their previous boss.

The man had the habit of moving from seedy motel to seedy motel, and this was the man's current rat hole. The lock wouldn't keep out a draft, so Arson didn't even have to use his quirk. A solid kick was more than sufficient.

A squeal sounded from in the room, immediately followed by a mousy man blubbering, "I don't have any money, you must have the wrong room."

"I'm not after money, I need information," Arson growled, smoke puffing from his mouth with every word.

"A-Arson?" the man stammered, eyes impossibly wide. "You're supposed to be laying low! After you killed that kid, every hero in Japan is out for your blood!"

"Let them come, I'd love to see them try to take me down," he said, looking down at the other man haughtily. "I refuse to keep worrying that one of them _may_ be stronger than me when I came out on top after a scuffle with All Might."

Arson had only briefly faced the hero, if you could call it that. He had done more running than anything else, but he still came out of the altercation unscathed. He was counting it.

The man looked like he wanted to protest, but wisely he stopped himself. "W-What do you need?"

"I need a plan to draw out Endeavor," Arson said, barging into the room and making himself comfortable on the couch. "I need it now."

"Endeavor?" he choked. "You want to go after the current number one hero."

"Do you know another Endeavor? If you don't want to die today I would stop asking questions and do as I say."

"Y-Yes Arson, sir." Frantic fingers began tapping away on a keyboard. A few moments later those same figures began scribbling nearly incomprehensible notes on a napkin. When he finished, he offered the napkin with trembling fingers.

"He has a daughter," said the hesitant voice. "She teaches school, but right now she's headed to the grocery store. If you can catch up to her and abduct her, you can use her to lure Endeavor out. Here's the location and everything. Her name is Todoroki Fuyumi and it seems that her quirk isn't very strong. If you catch her by surprise, she shouldn't give you any trouble."

Arson felt his lips quirk up. "Children can be the biggest hindrance if you let them. Not that I have anything to worry about anymore."

The man resolutely didn't react to Arson's statement, merely shoving the fiery man away with the relevant information and supplies. The informant watched as he left, and he couldn't help but hope that Arson and Endeavor might do the world a favor and kill each other.

Arson knew the area of town well, so he stalked down the road with a predatory gait. He only paused briefly to take off the mask - he couldn't very well get close to Endeavor's daughter looking like a villain.

She was just leaving the grocery store when he found her, probably in preparation of a late dinner for her father. An idle part of Arson wondered at the fact that the daughter of the number one hero did the grocery shopping herself rather than having a servant do it, but Arson didn't think on the matter too long. He didn't dare question his luck.

He intentionally kept himself just far enough back that she didn't notice him for a while, but when she did notice him she was immediately unsettled. While he wasn't wearing his mask, he couldn't wholly suppress the Arson grin, his face contorted into the chilling expression.

The girl pulled her phone out of her purse discreetly, thumb hovering over the call button. She walked slightly faster with each step, and Arson's grin grew, feeling thrilled at the chase.

In her panic, she turned down an alleyway abruptly. Arson found it comical that the girl thought she could try this to test whether or not she was being followed. If she had been thinking straight she would have called the police already.

To appease her paranoia, Arson kept walking straight, not even sparing the girl a glance. He could toy with her just a bit longer. He let her go, taking a shortcut to a street that she would no doubt take during her route. This worked perfectly, because this street was far less populated than the other - it seemed that fate was smiling upon him today.

Years of being a stealth assassin had taught Arson a variety of skills, so it was child's play to approach silently from behind. Just as the girl was beginning to relax he struck, jabbing viciously at a specific area on the juncture between the girl's neck and shoulder.

She crumpled into him and a savage grin distorted his face. Even if Endeavor held no affection for his children, this would needle at the man's pride enough to draw him out. If he did care about his children, even better. An unhinged hero was something Arson wouldn't mind toying with.

Hefting the limp woman over his shoulder, Arson moved swiftly. There was a warehouse nearby that he'd had his eye on for a while. It wasn't empty, of course, but its operating hours were fairly sparse, and it was filled with a number of deliciously flammable or explosive materials. Despite his newfound freedom, Arson was slightly irked to find himself still straying towards emptier parts of town where he wouldn't be spotted and/or he could execute a fast escape. He contented himself with the fact that he could lead Endeavor on a long goose chase before he slaughtered the man.

The warehouse wasn't far, and, as expected, empty. It was just a secondary warehouse for some company that dabbled in a bit of everything, and as it was evening it was highly unlikely that anyone would even think about coming here.

Pulling the rope from the grocery bag that the informant had sent him with, Arson began securely tying up the girl just as she was beginning to stir. He even dragged her over to the wall and propped her up so she would be more comfortable.

The girl's eyes were hazy at first, but when they began to focus, they became impossibly wide. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Arson, mask in place, held up her phone, and item he'd procured from her purse. "You're going to tell me your password. Don't look so scared, you'll be fine if you do what I say. I only _really_ hurt heroes."

"You're… You're the man that killed Shoto's classmate," the girl stammered. "Arson."

"I'm glad you've heard of me, this will make things a lot easier. Your password, _please,"_ he hissed, smoke billowing into her face.

She squeaked, "Why do you want it?"

He felt his grin twist, a grotesque expression covering his face. "I don't think you heard me. If you don't want to die, you'll comply. It even rhymes. Now what is your password?"

Fuyumi listed a series of numbers, and to Arson's joy it was correct. He sent himself Endeavor's contact information. Thanks to an old connection who had a technology quirk, his phone couldn't be tracked. Then, for good measure he crushed the girl's phone under his boot.

"We'll see how good the number one hero really is," Arson said. "Now don't hold back, let your dearest father know exactly how scared you are."

He put the phone on speaker as it rang, anticipation building. When it was finally answered, a gruff voice demanded, "Who is this? How did you get this number?"

"Hello, Endeavor. My name is Arson and I must say, I'm quite the fan. I've been waiting for a long time to arrange this meeting," he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"But I don't want to take all of your time," Arson continued, blatantly ignoring the man. "I've got someone here that is _dying_ to talk to you. Go ahead, girl."

Fuyumi was trembling, and you could hear it in her voice. "I don't know where I am, Dad. I'm so sorry I got caught, I just-"

"FUYUMI?" the hero thundered. "Listen here, Arson, I swear I will-"

"You have to find us before you do whatever you're about to threaten to do," Arson said, cutting the man off with a maniacal laugh. "I don't have a specific time frame, but you'll want to come get your daughter before I get bored. I won't kill her, but she probably won't be considered such a beauty when I'm done."

"I swear I will hunt you down like a dog. When I find you you'll wish I never had," Endeavor said with venom.

"Tick tock, Mr. Hero. And come alone, or I might take out some anger on your darling daughter."

Arson hung up before Endeavor could reply, excitement thrumming through his body. "I forgot to give your dear old dad any hints, didn't I? Oops, we'll have to wait and see how competent he is. I suppose we can give him a nudge in the right direction."

She was unable to do anything but to stare at this man, the man who Shoto said killed his own son. Fuyumi felt the hands of fate hovering over her, waiting to see if this was the day she would find her rest.

Arson was beginning to drag the merchandise out of the warehouse, sorting it into a variety of piles. One central one, he piled at least twice as much merchandise as was one the other piles.

It took quite some time for him to clear out even a portion of the warehouse, making each pile precise and almost artfully arranged. When he was satisfied, he exhaled, smoke and flames coiling around him and the largest pile. It caught fire immediately, blazing high to the sky. Fuyumi coughed at the sudden barrage of smoke.

"This is really for your sake," Arson said with that unsettling grin. "Hopefully your father will be bright enough to find you with all of our smoke signals. Also, who knows what I might do when I run out of things to burn?"

A shiver ran down Fuyumi's spine, but she couldn't focus on that. "What if someone calls the Fire Department?"

The man's grin grew. "Let them come. That only means more toys for me. Have you ever seen a fire engine explode? It's the perfect combination of beautiful and ironic."

Fuyumi didn't dare talk to the man unless he asked her something, after that. She felt sick from fear and smoke, and everything in her felt like it was shattering. She wanted to be removed from the situation, but something told her that this man might be the one that her father couldn't handle alone.

The world had been quickly approaching sunset when Arson had first inserted himself into her life, but now it was firmly dark. Time ticked on, and the villain kept amusing himself with watching things burn. She was barely conscious, but Fuyumi felt like she _had_ to stay awake, or she would never wake up again. All of the smoke was garnering some attention, and true to Arson's word, the man had taken out a fire engine. She hoped the firefighters were somehow okay.

It wasn't long after that when Fuyumi's heart dropped, hearing an all too familiar voice say, "You've gone too far, Arson. It's my duty to put you down."

The villain looked into the face of the number one hero and _laughed._ "Finally. I was starting to get bored. Fires are fun, but there are only so many I can set at once."

"Where's my daughter?"

"Somewhere in here. You have to get through me first, though," Arson said, and as he spoke, the smoldering fires blazed all the brighter, coming to twine around the man. "Come, Endeavor. I've been waiting for this for years."

* * *

 **A/N: I really never intended for this particular chapter to take so long, but I'm going to try to have the next one here a lot sooner. I feel like this one suffered quite a bit because of the stress I had from moving and starting college back up again, but I've re-written it enough times that I just need to let it be what it is. But hello, everyone. It's nice to be back. This fic is coming to a close, so prepare yourselves, and thanks for sticking with me. I always enjoy reading your comments and reactions, and I really do feel like my writing has improved over the course of this story.**

 **I already have an idea for a new fic circulating in my mind. Kit, like with many things, hated the idea when I first pitched it, but she's come around a lot more quickly than I expected. She says I'm not allowed to spend excessive time writing that one until I finish Arson (because she knows that Detective Midoriya is never going to end at the rate I'm going). But be on the lookout for that soon, because I may just write behind her back.**

 **What is the story about? I'm a sucker for fics about Aizawa and Izuku in familial situations. That's all I'm going to say about it for now, but let me know what you think!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Izuku

"So the League of Villains were keeping you unconscious and on display? Should I call you Snow White now?" Shinsou asked.

"Please don't," Izuku said. "But yeah, I woke up and as soon as the room was empty I smashed my way out."

Todoroki was still following the other two in a daze, and in his daze he didn't notice the garbage lying in the pathway. He tripped and went down _hard._

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, swerving to check on his friend.

"It hurts," Todoroki said emotionlessly, frowning. "Falling actually hurts, which means I'm actually awake, which means you're actually - Midoriya, you're actually-"

"Use your words, little Todoroki. Preferably words other than 'actually,'" Shinsou suggested lazily.

"You're actually alive," Todoroki said, eyes shining with emotion even though his expression never changed. He stood up, slowly raising his arms and bringing them around Izuku, softly patting his back three times. "That's how Iida instructed me to give a hug. I hope I did it right."

"You did just fine," Izuku said, swallowing the tears that were building up.

"I don't know if I should be amused or sad," Shinsou said with a yawn. "So who all knows you're alive."

"Well, I ran to All Might's house, and due to some complications now Nezu, Recovery Girl, and Aizawa know, too. They're going to kill me for running away like this, but Arson needs to be taken down carefully," Izuku explained.

"So we're sending in three second-year students. Excellent, we can all roast marshmallows," Shinsou said.

Izuku bit his lip. "I don't know how to explain it, but it has to be me, guys. I can feel it."

"I wouldn't dare deny your instincts, Midoriya. What do you want us to do?"

Closing his eyes, Izuku said, "Todoroki, I want you to focus on saving any victims or hostages there may be, hero or civilian. Shinsou, I want you to try and incapacitate Arson. He'll reply without problem most likely - ideally we won't really have to fight him, but be prepared for the worst case scenario."

"You're not dying again, Midoriya," Todoroki said resolutely. "I won't be too late this time."

"Can I kick both your sperm donors if I get the opportunity? They're both flaming trash," Shinsou observed.

"Absolutely."

They moved as one, their friendship and training together aiding with that. While Todoroki and Shinsou hadn't spent much time together, Izuku knew each of their fighting styles intimately, and they were different enough he doubted they would get in each others' way.

Luckily Shinsou had had the foresight to bring oversized hoodies for each of them - the night air was more than brisk, it still managed to sting their faces. Izuku pulled the hood of the borrowed jacket down as far as it would go. The closer they approached, the more intense the fight seemed. Flames periodically erupted over the buildings, raising the temperature considerably with each one. The police were already there, forming a perimeter to keep the general public a safe distance away.

A vaguely familiar officer - Saito, Izuku thought her name was - stepped in front of them. "You should go home, boys. This isn't a situation you want to be near."

"We just wanted to watch," Izuku said a little nervously.

"You all look a little young to be out and about right now," the officer said, narrowing her eyes. "Do I need to call your parents?"

"The truth is, we're kind of scared," Shinsou said, doing his best to make the words feel genuine. It wasn't terribly effective. "Could you walk us home?"

"I wish I could, kids, but -" The officer stopped, her eyes glazing over in a tell-tale sign that Shinsou had used his quirk. Izuku couldn't help but feel that in another life, he would've been good friends with the obscenely tall officer.

"Let us through and forget you saw us tonight," Shinsou commanded. As expected, the officer woodenly stepped aside for them. Once they had raced into the disaster area, Izuku assumed she went back to normal.

As they approached the scene, the heat was almost unbearable. The perimeter was quite a ways away from the actual fight, so the boys still had quite a walk ahead of them. As they walked, though, Izuku would have compared the experience to a fireworks show if it weren't for the dread that sat in his stomach like a lead weight. Fire of all colors flashed through the air, contorting into shapes and moving in ways that was morbidly beautiful.

What had once been a fairly nice part of town smouldered around Izuku, faint wisps of smoke trailing upwards. Their hoodies were likely to give them heatstroke before too long, but Izuku couldn't risk the loss of the only thing halfway concealing his identity.

As the students cautiously moved closer, a flaming figure sailed past them, crashing into a nearby dumpster. _Endeavor._

Shinsou momentarily smirked at the sight, muttering something about the man ending up where he belonged. However, they all snapped to attention when Arson himself stalked towards them, his face contorted into a horrifying facsimile of a smile.

"I told you all I only wanted Endeavor if you wanted the girl to come out of this looking as pretty as when I found her," Arson said, all rationality absent. "But this is just said, this is like a blood sacrifice offered to appease an angry god! What are you, students?"

Somehow Izuku sensed the coming tug, and he latched onto his hood - he couldn't be unmasked yet. He needed to see how far gone his father was.

The villain's eyes landed on Shoto, glimmering with recognition. "I know you, you _are_ you trying to avenge your dead friend, little hero? You should be happy, he died in a blaze of glory. That's what all you heroes want, isn't it?"

Todoroki visibly tensed, cold radiating from the side that Izuku was on. It honestly felt pretty good, considering the current environment. The boy stepped forward, clearly ready to freeze Arson where he stood.

Izuku placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, murmuring, "Go check on your father and any hostages there are. I'll deal with mine."

Shoto breathed in deeply, meeting Izuku's eyes. "Don't die this time."

Urging Shinsou forward with him, Izuku approached his father, pausing a few feet in front of him. "Are you the little ring leader, hero? Ordering people around, but you're too scared to show your face?"

"I don't want to die in a blaze of glory," Izuku said, pulling down the hood. "I've already done that, and I'd much rather live to protect the people I care about."

Arson's grin disappeared, and somehow it was more terrifying than before. "It looks like you're ready to die a second time."

In the background, Shoto was busy hauling his father from the dumpster - the pro hero seemed dazed, but when his eyes finally focused on his son, his grip on Shoto's arm visibly tightened. "Leave me, I'll be fine. He's got Fuyumi in that warehouse, go protect your sister."

"Is she the only hostage?" Izuku demanded.

"Yes," Endeavor said, taking a few staggering steps over to a wall, sagging onto it. "But be warned, he doesn't just control fire, he can manipulate air, the very air you breathe."

"It's not air," Izuku contradicted, crouching down despite the pain it caused his body. Nothing had reopened or rebroken, so it was probably fine. "He can control tiny things, even individual molecules, as long as they aren't packed together too closely."

Nodding, Shoto sprinted away, eyes set in determination. Arson followed the boy with his eyes, a small grin forming as he summoned more and more flames.

"NO!" Izuku shouted, punching forward with everything his arm would allow without shattering. The force was staggering, blowing Arson's flames out completely.

The man spun on his heel, murderous eyes fixated on Izuku. "Despite what you say, you really do want to die, child."

"And if we do?" asked Shinsou.

"Then I'm happy to deli-"

Izuku felt like he could breathe again when Arson froze, his eyes glazing over. "Let's call the police over, and we can -"

He broke off when Arson lurched forward with a primal yell, eyes zeroing in on his son. "You - You're dead!"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm back! We officially only have three more chapters of Arson, and then we're donezo! This chapter called for a few rewrites, but now I'm mostly happy with how it turned out. As always, let me know what you think! I can't believe we're almost done here, it's been a wild ride! Thanks to everyone that has stuck with me through this whole thing, I hope I don't disappoint!**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Hisashi

He had been floating in the abyss since he had had a hand in killing his own son. Who was Hisashi kidding? He had killed his son, full stop. Hisashi didn't know how or what to feel about the whole thing, so he didn't. It was dark and silent in the abyss, and most importantly he could sink into mental and emotional numbness, simply existing. He couldn't find it in himself to care what Arson said or did anymore.

There was no telling how long he existed in the abyss before glimmers of reality and Arson's panic reached him. An indeterminate amount of time earlier he had sensed some twisted satisfaction from the demon in his head, but now he felt panic, and it had something to do with Izuku.

Hisashi brushed it off - what could it possibly be? Izuku was dead and Hisashi was tired.

But no matter his efforts, the numbness couldn't last. He had no idea how it all happened, but Arson practically disappeared, shoved to some deep corner of their shared, twisted mind. Without his consent, Hisashi was deposited at the control panel so to speak, shoved to the forefront of their mind.

He blinked a few times at the sudden barrage of reality. Where was he? His eyes roved around before they latched onto a familiar figure in front of him. _Izuku._

"You - You're dead!" Hisashi exclaimed, stumbling backward. Was he also dead? What manner of punishment waited for someone who had killed their own son?

Izuku looked wounded, but fierce at the same time. "You wish I was dead, don't you?"

Staring at his son in that moment, a part of Hisashi wanted to celebrate. His son was alive! He hadn't ruined everything on that day, maybe Inko would -

No, Inko would never, _could_ never forgive him. Confronted with reality, Hisashi couldn't help thinking that things would be easier, _kinder_ if he was dead. He didn't have the strength to repress Arson. He would like to say he didn't have it anymore, but he never had in the first place. He was weak, and he was a coward. The world was scorched and burning around him, and wiht a sinking in his stomach, he knew it was all his fault. Arson - he had done this. In this very moment, without the influence of Arson twisting his thoughts, Hisashi had to acknowledge everything.

He was a monster.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I am aware of how short this chapter. I would apologize, but I'm a little sick of Hisashi's perspective, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of you felt the same way. If it were up to Kit, this chapter would have been two sentences long - she really wanted me to do that. By the way, it's Kit's birthday today! She forbade me from telling our roommates because she doesn't like the attention, but she said nothing about me not telling the internet.**

 **There are three more chapters after this! I'm working to try and publish them within a day or two of each other. After that Detective Midoriya will resume weekly as per usual (ha, look at me pretending I have an update schedule), and I'll be starting the aforementioned fic that Kit was initially 100% against, but now she bursts into my room at random intervals with new ideas.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Trigger Warning: Brief Themes of Suicide**

Chapter 34: Izuku

Somehow Izuku knew it was his father staring at him, not Arson. Were they really two different people? Part of Izuku wanted to say no, to rail against the man and blame him for everything that had happened - every hero killed, every insult he'd been called, every tear his mother had shed.

Was Hisashi to blame? Izuku would've been hesitant to make that judgement in normal circumstances, and based on his actions in the past hour, he wasn't exactly in the clearest frame of mind.

The worst part of it all, though, was the fact that part of him wanted to excuse his father from everything he'd done. The neglected child in him desperately wanted approval, affection, _anything_ from this man. But when he moved too suddenly, the remaining pain reminded him that this man had _tried to kill him_ , would have killed him if not for the intervention of the League of Villains, which was laughable.

The man hesitantly stepped forward, hand outstretched and eyes fixated on Izuku. He halted when the boy flinched away.

"I… You're alive then?" he asked with a sense of… hope?

"It seems so," Izuku said. He felt how tense Shinsou was beside him, but he didn't dare take his eyes off Hisashi. "Is that all you have to say?"

"No, I…" Hisashi blinked, looking very much like a harmless, lost man. "I'm sorry, Izuku. I couldn't control Arson, but I should have - I could have… It doesn't matter anymore. You deserve better than a coward like me as a father, Izuku. I'm so -"

Hisashi was cut off by a figure hurtling towards him, throwing both of them to the ground on impact.

"NO!" Izuku and Shinsou yelled in unison as Endeavor attempted to pin down the man.

"Excellent work distracting him, I'll take it from here," the man said, face twisted in an eerie grin. "He's going to pay for kidnapping my daughter."

Before Endeavor could restrain the man in any sort of useful way, Arson began chuckling. "I have to thank you, hero. You've freed me."

Endeavor's eyes widened before he began choking, falling away from Arson, who rose, cackling. "I thought Hisashi was dead, but you've shown me that I need to do _more._ I'll start with killing each of you, and then I'll go kill Inko. Killing the boy had nearly done the trick, but I want true freedom."

Izuku blindly lunged at the man, fury coursing through his veins. " _You will not touch my mother."_

"You should be thankful I'm sending you to the great beyond in good company." Arson had danced away from Izuku, but the second the villain fixed his eyes on Shoto, likely to taunt him, a scarred fist slammed into his face, sending Arson flying across the street.

He skidded a few times before he gained his footing, nose bent at an unnatural angle, dripping blood. The man's grin was vicious, demented. _Inhuman._

"Shinsou, make sure Endeavor doesn't interfere again," Izuku said, ignoring how his body ached. "And help Todoroki with his sister if you can."

"Midoriya, you're not… Of course you are. I _will_ step in if I need to, but… I'll let you do what you have to."

He afforded Shinsou a smile and a brief, "Thank you," before bounding away, drawing the approaching onslaught of flames away from his friend.

In the air, Izuku twisted his body, kicking out his leg with enough force to extinguish the flames tailing him. Luckily Izuku was able to land well, crouched just a few feet in front of what was left of his father.

"You may feel more unhinged and free than ever before, but your body can't handle using your quirk like this much longer," Izuku warned. The man was showing classic signs of quirk exhaustion - his breathing was haggard, his muscles would sporadically spasm, and it appeared that the man was still on his feet through sheer force of will. "You were an assassin, your body isn't suited for longer fights like this."

"You could never understand, _hero._ You have no idea how much you can do, how far you can go when you've got no inhibitions."

As the man's throat began to glow, Izuku bit his lip hard enough he tasted blood. "I've already died once to protect people, but it's more important to live for them."

"That's a nice story to tell, kid. If only someone bought it," Arson said, lip curled. Flames lazily trailed from his mouth, but they were noticeably weaker, less intense.

Izuku just had to keep the man talking and distracted long enough for him to pass out from quirk overuse. He had to keep moving, keep talking. His motions were considerable slower than normal, but he could mostly avoid the flames.

"Didn't you ever feel the need to protect someone?" Izuku demanded, tears stinging his eyes. Whether they were from smoke or emotion, he'd never know. "Didn't you ever want to spare someone from fear and pain?"

Curiously, Arson's grin slipped, and he fell back a step. "Shut up," he growled, eyes frantically darting around.

"She believed in you for years after you left," Izuku found himself saying, dodging a barrage of flames. He said it in part to distract the man, but he also found he _needed_ to say this, he _needed_ this man to know the pain he'd caused. "She told me you were supporting the family from overseas, and we had to love you enough that you could feel it an ocean away."

"I said SHUT UP!"

But Izuku didn't flinch away from the man, even when Arson stepped forward, fingers wound around his throat. Izuku stared at the man - no, his father- dead in his eyes. "She waited for you every night like you would magically resurface, and every night she cried," he said, his voice only mildly impeded by the man's crushing fingers. He wanted to break this man's arm, tear it away and put as much distance between them as possible, but the longer Izuku spoke, the more the pressure on his throat lessened. Something was getting through to him.

"And as much as she hates it, a part of her - a part of me - still loves you!"

That particular statement seemed to make the world stop spinning, both Midoriyas frozen in this moment of revelation. Izuku fell to the ground, coughing. Arson - Hisashi - seemed to collapse into himself. Izuku could see in his eyes that he was at war with himself, both entities viciously fighting a battle that didn't necessarily allow a victor.

When it was over, Izuku was sure that his father was the one who smiled bittersweetly at him. He tried to clamber to his feet, but suddenly it felt like his lungs were short on oxygen. He barely retained his consciousness, and if he tried to move or speak, he would definitely pass out.

"I've always been a coward," Hisashi said ruefully. "I guess now's not the time to change that. I just… I can't keep fighting Arson. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve it, but… could you tell your mother that I… that I'm sorry? What am I saying, she doesn't want to hear that. Live well, Izuku. Be the hero that saves people, even if they're like me."

Izuku watched as his father walked away, a last bout of flames encircling him. Somehow he knew what was happening, and he couldn't… He still couldn't move, and he couldn't even summon enough breath to call for his friends. They were too far away to do anything, anyway.

So instead Izuku watched helplessly as the man rushed the perimeter of police officers, seemingly intent on killing them all. A series of gunshots rang out, and Izuku felt the moment they found their mark - he could breathe again.

On shaking legs, Izuku rose and walked over to where the police swarmed. Suddenly nothing felt real anymore - someone was talking to him, and people were yelling and there were sirens, and it was almost too much.

"-name? Young man, can you hear me?" When Izuku came to, a worried EMT was waving in front of his face.

"Sorry, what?"

"What's your name?" she asked kindly.

"Midoriya Izuku," he mumbled before his mind finally kickstarted. "Wait, my friends! Are they okay? What happened to them?"

"Calm down, Midoriya. Endeavor's going to have to stay in the hospital a few days, but everyone else should be just fine. They've been okayed to go home once they give their statements."

"That's good," Izuku said with a sigh of relief.

"If you get a police escort home, I'll release you as long as you promise to go for a thorough check up tomorrow, just in case. I can't find much wrong with you aside from some mostly healed wounds, the bruising around your neck, and a few minor burns. Right now the best medicine for you is a shower and a good night's sleep in your own bed."

Home. The very thought of it almost brought Izuku to tears. "That… That sounds amazing. Thank you."

"I'll even call someone over to expedite things. Detective, you're needed!"

A familiar man in a trenchcoat walked over, freezing when he saw who waited for him. "Midoriya?"

"Oh, Detective Tsukauchi. Hi? It's nice to see you."

Izuku was startled when the detective pulled him into a brief, tight hug. "You gave us quite the scare, kid. You look dead on your feet, so here's what we're going to do. You're going to tell me the most important things and then I'll drive you home. We can get you in the station for a full statement tomorrow."

Nodding, Izuku did exactly as the officer prompted, and before he knew it, he was in a police cruiser going to his apartment.

"Do you want me to come up with you?" Detective Tsukauchi asked when he parked outside the apartment complex.

"No, that's okay," Izuku said, shaking his head. "There will be a lot of tears, and my mom doesn't like people seeing her in her nightgown. Can you tell my friends that were there that I'm alright? And All Might?"

"Don't worry about it, Midoriya. We'll keep you being alive under wraps until you're ready to deal with the press, too," Tsukauchi said with a smile. "Now go on, there's someone waiting for you that's much more important than me."

"Thanks," Izuku said one last time before slipping out of the car. Every step felt like it was weighed down, but before he knew it, Izuku stood in front of the door he'd known all his life.

Taking a deep breath, he raised a hand and knocked.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd like to think that this cliffhanger is a little nicer than some of my others. Two more chapters to go, or rather one last chapter and then the epilogue. I might add on to Arson Extras one or two more times, but I may also wait a while to do so. Inspiration struck, and I wrote more of Arson in like three days than I have of anything else for… a while. It's been kind of interesting, because writing Arson has been different from anything else I've ever written, it comes from a… previously unexplored place. It's been interesting switching from this to my academic writing.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me this long! I look forward to what you think!**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Inko

She was sitting at the table, hands cradling a cup of tea as it grew cold. Normally she would have never been awake this late, but since Izuku had died she was lucky to get even six hours of sleep a night.

Inko was trying to be functional, trying to force her life back into some semblance of normalcy, but for whatever reason she just couldn't. She went through her routines religiously, often trying to convince herself that Izuku was just away at U.A., that he would be home next weekend.

Sometimes it felt like there was no reason to keep living at all, but here she was, sitting alone at her table as the clock ticked past midnight. Before she could attempt to drag herself to bed, a knock sounded at the door. Uncharacteristic irritation welled within Inko as she marched to the door. It was too late for company, and completely disrespectful to boot. If she had been sleeping, it would have disrupted her night. It wasn't the first time a reporter of some kind came at an inopportune moment to get a statement.

Wrenching the door, open, Inko demanded, "Do you know what time it is? Did your mother never teac-"

The words died on Inko's lips when… when _he_ looked back at her. He was clearly exhausted, but his lips quirked into a smile. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Sorry to wake you. I would've let myself in, but I lost my key."

Inko stared at the boy for a few tense moments before dissolving into tears, throwing herself at her son with a gasp of, " _Izuku!"_

Once she had said it the first time she couldn't stop saying his name, the reverent chant of, "Izuku, Izuku." It was a plea, a prayer, a supplication to any and all deities to _let this be real._

As if he could read her thoughts, Izuku's arms tightened around her. "I promise I'm real, Mom. It's me."

She could feel his heartbeat hammering in his chest. He smelled like smoke and sweat, and Inko could see bruises lining his neck.

"How?" was all she could bring herself to say.

"When I fought… him in that Subway entrance, I was actually taken by the League of Villains. They kept me sedated, but when I woke up I escaped. I'm alive, Mom. I'm okay."

They stayed in each other's embrace for too short a time before Inko tried to pull herself together. "You go shower, and in the meantime I'll make you something to eat," she said, shooing him away.

When he disappeared, Inko couldn't help but collapse into one of the kitchen chairs, trying to stop herself from shaking. He was alive, and the world was beginning to make sense again. This may all be some cruel illusion, or dream, but Inko couldn't bring herself to care. She would suffer any consequences for a few hours longer with her son.

Meanwhile, the shower was the most heavenly thing he had ever felt. Toshinori and Recovery Girl had both cleaned him up to the best of their abilities, but sometimes a sponge bath just didn't cut it. Bits of dirt and dried blood flaked off his skin, and Izuku made sure to shampoo his hair twice. It was amazing how something so simple as taking a shower could be such a humanizing event.

When he finally turned off the water, he was able to assess how damaged his body was. He sported a few burns, not to mention the new bruises ringing his neck, but he was actually in pretty decent shape. None of his wounds from the League had reopened and he hadn't broken anything. It was kind of monumental, actually, though he doubted Recovery Girl would agree.

Mom had laid out a towel and a clean set of clothes for him - a pair of basketball shorts and his favorite "T-shirt" t-shirt. When he emerged from the bathroom, it was to one of the most delectable scents known to mankind.

"Is that katsudon?" Izuku asked hopefully. "How did you make it so quickly?"

"Every mother has her secrets," Inko said, deciding against telling him that he had been in the shower for almost an hour.

The meal was quiet - the two didn't need words at the moment, they just needed one another's presence. Nothing would ever compare to his mother's cooking for Izuku, and this seemed to be the first food Inko could actually taste for days.

Once the food was gone, it came to their attention that both Midoriyas were completely exhausted. Inko fully expected to wake up at least hourly, driven by the need to see Izuku there. But just as they finished clearing the table, Izuku couldn't stop himself from catching his mother's sleeve.

"Can… Can I sleep with you tonight?" he found himself asking.

Inko's eyes widened, suddenly reminded of a child asking the same thing. But Izuku was still a child, her child. "Of course," she said immediately with a soft smile.

It didn't take long for either Midoriya to fall asleep. To have another person in bed should have felt foreign, or alien to her, but Izuku was her son. He would always feel like the missing piece of herself.

The next morning dawned gently, and this day Inko couldn't resent the sunshine - today it illuminated a far happier world.

Inko had to admit her heart hurt for a moment when she saw Izuku wake up panicked, but he calmed quickly.

"The detective called," Inko said softly. "He said they'll be ready to take your statement whenever you're ready. Do you want to go there first, or do something else?"

Izuku thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Can we go to U.A. first?"

"Absolutely, I'm sure your friends would appreciate it," Inko said. "And while we're there, Recovery Girl can look you over."

She had actually been issued a visitor's pass that she had forgotten to return, so Inko was able to pass through the gates without difficulty. Izuku insisted on going to the dorms first because, "Recovery girl might make me wait to see them, and I promise I'm fine."

Inko found herself caving, primarily because she needed someone else to verify that this was real, and she knew how much those kids needed to see it as well.

Someone had left the door unlocked, something Aizawa would doubtlessly have been furious about. It swung open easily, and it was interesting to Inko to see how functional various students were this early on a Saturday morning. Only a few students were mulling about the common area, and none really noticed the newcomers.

Someone was leaning into the fridge, and Inko thought it was Izuku's friend with the glasses. Still from the fridge, he said, "You really must begin locking the door while you're on your runs, Bakugou. What would happen if-"

His words were cut off by the sharp sound of glass shattering, Iida having dropped his glass pitcher of orange juice once he had caught sight of Izuku. At the sound, Uraraka bolted into the room, asking, "Is everything okay?"

Iida was still frozen, eyes wide and fixated on Izuku. Curious, uraraka turned her head. When she took in Izuku's presence, she froze momentarily. "Is that really you, Deku?" At his tiny nod she threw herself forward, arms wrapping around him tightly.

Izuku didn't notice she'd activated her quirk until she let go and he floated to the high ceiling with surprising speed.

Now Iida snapped out of his fugue-like state. "Uraraka, you need to release your quirk!"

"He already looks hurt, what if the fall hurts him even more?" Uraraka demanded. "No, we can just go get-"

"You two are up early on a Saturday," Sero said, strolling in. "Whoa, what happened with the orange juice?"

"Sero!" Uraraka said, practically pouncing on him. "You need to get Deku down, please!"

"Did someone get another Midoriya body pillow or something? I personally think that's a little weird, but to each their ow…" Sero trailed off, finally looking at the ceiling. "That's Midoriya. Like, the real Midoriya."

"Hi, Sero," Izuku said with a little wave.

"I'm going back to bed," Sero said, turning away. "Midoriya, I miss you, but please haunt someone else."

"Please, Sero? He's alive, I swear!" Uraraka pled.

"Kaminari, stop! There's broken glass over here, and the coffee maker is on the other side of the kitchen!" Iida scolded, his voice ringing out across the room. "You know this!"

"Mrs. Midoriya? What are you doing here, _ribbit?_ "

Uraraka ceased shaking Sero, instead alighting on her amphibian friend. "Tsuyu, will you get Deku down?"

"Midoriya, _ribbit?_ " Tsuyu looked up, eyes widening before she launched her tongue at him, wrapping around the boy's ankle. When she had hauled him much closer to the floor, Uraraka released her quirk.

"Tell me this is real, Midoriya," Tsuyu said, holding him at arm's length. "Tell me you're really here."

"It's me, Tsuyu," Izuku said, tears threatening. "I'm alive."

Surprisingly, it was Tsuyu that cried first, hugging Izuku with a sort of desperation. Some class members clamored around them while others tore up the stairs to drag those absent out of bed. Inko smiled at the mass of teenagers that all cared so very much about her son.

As she was the closest to the door, Inko was the first to notice it open and close. An irritated Katsuki stepped through, though his expression softened a bit when he saw Inko. "What are you doing here, Auntie? Are these idiots bothering you? I'll tell them to shut up."

"Oh, that's not necessary, Katsuki," Inko said. "They're just excited, and I wouln't take that away from them."

"They're a disgrace, that's what they are," Katsuki said, rolling his eyes. He turned to look at the mass of his classmates, red eyes widening. "Deku," he breathed, taking in the sight of Izuku being passed from classmate to classmate. Then Katsuki was blasting through them, bellowing, "DEKU!"

Izuku tensed, turning to the other boy. "Kacchan?"

"You idiot! What's wrong with you?!" Katsuki yelled, shaking Izuku.

"Todoroki, you're not going to believe this! You have to see it for yourself!" Kaminari was saying, literally dragging Todoroki along with him.

The drowsy, disgruntled Todoroki simply blinked at the scene in front of him. "This looks like an average Saturday morning to me."

"No man, it's Midoriya! He's alive!" Kaminari exclaimed, pointing.

"I know, he's the reason I've only had three hours of sleep," he said dully. "Glad to see it wasn't a dream after all. Good to see you, Mrs. Midoriya, and goodnight."

"WHAT DOES HE MEAN HE KNEW?!" Katsuki demanded, shaking Izuku even harder.

"Bakugou, please refrain from further injuring Midoriya. Ashido, step away! There is broken glass!" Iida yelled.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Aizawa hissed, emerging from the hallway. "It's Saturday morning, shut up and let me _sleep_."

"But Mr. Aizawa, look! It's Midoriya! He's alive!"

"I can see that, and if he ever decides to pull another disappearing act like that again, he will wish that the villains did him in," Aizawa warned. "Now keep it down, all of you."

Katsuki only shook Izuku even harder, and the way the smaller boy's head snapped back and forth was mildly concerning. "WHO ALL DID YOU TELL BEFORE ME?"

Inko watched the scene with a warm heart. She took comfort in knowing her son was not only alive and well, but loved. That was enough for her.

* * *

 **A/N: I was planning on posting this chapter on Wednesday, but life has a way of intervening - I was in a minor car accident. It was nothing serious, no one involved got hurt. I wasn't at fault, and insurance is paying for everything, but I'm a little shaken up, and I probably need to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. I've been in a kind of weird headspace since then, but I already have the epilogue written, so I'm probably going to post it as soon as I get it typed up, be it today or tomorrow. Thank you all for every comment, every like, every follow... Every notification I get brightens my day. I hope the ending to Arson doesn't disappoint.**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Izuku

A Year Later

Izuku dodged another of Bakugou's blasts, but it was uncomfortably close. He really was holding nothing back this time, losing what little control he had built up through the years.

"Stop running away, Deku!" Bakugou growled, palms sparking.

"All Might, sir, shouldn't you stop them? Bakugou looks like he wants to kill Midoriya, more than normal, _ribbit_ ," Tsuyu said.

"I'm witnessing this mainly so those two don't get suspended again," All Might said, eyes fixed on the two boys. "But they need to put their little argument to rest."

"So we're calling this a training exercise? Watching Bakugou try to kill Midoriya again?" Jirou asked tiredly.

"FIGHT ME DEKU!"

"Kacchan, I'm telling you it wasn't me!" Izuku said, dodging another blast.

"Like hell it wasn't! Who else would have touched the thing? Admit you broke it, Deku!"

All Might didn't miss the way young Kirishim and Kaminari eyed each other, shuffling awkwardly, perhaps even _guiltily._ But that wasn't Toshinori's business. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he really wanted to see how young Midoriya would fare against young  
Bakugou once he stopped holding back.

"Once you admit you broke it, Deku, you're either going to buy me a new one or give me yours," Bakugou growled.

No one would tell Toshinori just what it was the boys were fighting over, but he could deduce it was something quite expensive and valuable, based on the way young Midoriya's eyes narrowed. "I told you I didn't break it. Why don't you LISTEN TO ME?" By the end, Izuku's voice had become a roar. While this was shocking, what was even more so was the plume of flame that came from Izuku's mouth, punctuating the last few words.

Everyone stared in shock until Kaminari complained, "Seriously Midoriya? Again? You are the _last_ person to need another quirk."

"I… I don't…" Izuku said dazedly, staring at the small patch of grass that burned in front of him.

"Okay, students, that's enough for today," All Might said, shooing the others away. "You're all done for the day, I need to speak with young Midoriya."

Bakugou began stalking away, but not without growling, "This isn't over, Deku," over his shoulder.

Izuku, though, looked dazed. He had his fingers to his lips and he was muttering at a speed hitherto unknown to man.

Once the students had filtered out, Toshinori gripped the boy's shoulder. "How do you feel about this particular quirk, my boy? It is curiously similar to-"

"No, All Might. It's not similar," Izuku said, practically glowing. "This is _my_ quirk."

"Your quirk, my boy? Are you sure?"

Izuku nodded reverently. "I just… I _know_ it's mine. And it kind of makes sense you know? One For All combines with the user's original quirk if they have one, right? I had a really hard time controlling One For All in the beginning, and you didn't. What if… What if One For All was trying to combine with _my_ quirk that whole time? I know All For One took my quirk, but quirks are part of your genetics. I haven't researched it, but what if when he takes quirks from people, it just suppresses the quirk factor in their genes? Like I doubt he could forcibly change someone's genes, and when he gives the quirk to someone else, it's probably just a superficial expression of the quirk. They never seem to have as much control or tolerance for the quirks that All For One give them, and the quirks completely destroy their mental state. I just… I'm talking too fast, aren't I?"

"Don't worry, my boy," All Might said, slapping Izuku on the back. "You can finally put your true quirk to use the way it was always meant to be used."

Izuku was smiling widely enough that his cheeks were sore. A few tears slipped down onto his cheeks as he beckoned with a single finger, drawing the tiny flame that hadn't gone out yet to him. It danced in the air, alive, warm, and welcoming. It held a sense of contentment that Arson's flames never did.

Strangely, Izuku didn't feel the need to complete penance for the actions of his father. He'd had a year to realize that Hisashi's actions with his quirk _weren't Izuku's fault._ No, instead he had an opportunity to realize this quirk's full potential.

The world was far from perfect, Izuku knew that better than anyone. But _his_ quirk that previously only inspired fear and pain was in better hands now. He could use it as it was always meant to be used: To bring light to a dark world.

* * *

 **A/N: You would not believe the sense of finality I'm getting from posting this last chapter. I started this story almost a year ago, and it's inspiring to have proof of how much I've grown as a writer. I still have so much more to learn, so please, keep reading my writing. Keep telling me how to improve, and just keep being yourselves. I appreciate every comment, but I also appreciate every silent reader. Thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoyed my story.**

 **Love,**

 **Rogue**


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